Global organisations release guidelines for schools to educate children on AMR

Schools in 78 per cent of the countries surveyed in 2023 reported that primary and secondary schoolchildren do not receive education on AMR.iStock

Global organisations release guiding document for schools to educate children on AMR

They highlight the importance of investing in AMR and how schools can play a role in addressing its drivers

Published on:

28 Mar 2025, 12:52 pm

In March 2025, six global organisations — the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the United Nations Environment Programme, the United Nations Educational, Social and Cultural Organization, the United Nations Children’s Fund, the World Health Organization and the World Organisation for Animal Health — came together to formulate a brief that underscores the critical role that schools play in addressing the grave issue of antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

It outlines actions for policymakers and school practitioners to consider for AMR prevention and education.

AMR occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites no longer respond to medicines, leading to more severe illnesses and an increased risk of infections that are difficult to treat, potentially causing greater illness and death. No longer a ‘silent pandemic’, it is estimated that bacterial AMR was directly responsible for 1.27 million deaths worldwide in 2019 and contributed to nearly 5 million deaths.

Even though AMR is a natural process, it is accelerated by preventable human behaviour such as misuse and overuse of antimicrobial in humans and animals, including in food animal production systems; poor infection prevention and control; antibiotic pollution and poor sanitation including poor management of solid waste, water and wastewater.

Not only are existing antibiotics becoming ineffective, the arsenal of new antibiotics being developed is also very fragile. There are limited antibiotics under development, which would mean that children and youth today will face higher consequences of inaction and increased risks of AMR.

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Around 139 of 177 countries surveyed (78 per cent) in 2023 reported that primary and secondary schoolchildren do not receive education on AMR, according to data from the Quadripartite Global Database for Tracking AMR Country Self-assessment Surveys.

The global organisations recognised the potential of young people in bringing together wider society and stakeholder groups to tackle AMR. In the brief, they highlighted the importance of investing in AMR, how schools can address the drivers of AMR as well as underlined some of the objectives that can be incorporated into curricular or extracurricular activities in schools.

They enlisted four ‘call to action’ themes for schools:

Schools and school systems should adopt a holistic approach to AMR. This includes health education, environmental education, safe drinking-water, sanitation, promotion of good hygiene practices, food safety, environmental sustainability (such as waste management) and community engagement.
Policymakers and school systems must provide the necessary resources and support for implementing AMR-related measures and programmes in schools. This includes use of interactive learning and formal incorporation of AMR education into school curricula.
Civil society organisations should support learning on AMR in schools. This can be done through educational tools, resources and incentives.
Health workers must provide guidance and empower school administrators. This can be for the effective delivery of a multisectoral curriculum on AMR in schools.

By implementing the strategies described in the guiding document, schools can build the potential to contribute to preventing and mitigating the development and spread of AMR, while promoting overall health and well-being within school communities.