Celebrated between November 18 – 24 every year, World Antimicrobial Awareness Week (WAAW) aims to increase awareness of global antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and to encourage best practices among the general public.
In response to WAAW’s objectives and Pfizer’s ongoing commitment to tackling antimicrobial resistance (AMR), Pfizer has launched an ongoing integrated awareness campaign in the United Arab Emirates, including a number of activities developed to raise public awareness about infection control and the growing threat of the so-called superbugs
Among these diverse activities is an educational video that is being featured at several Cinema screens across the UAE. Cinemagoers at VOX and Reel Cinemas will get the chance to watch a 60-second fun video and educate themselves about the importance of handwashing to help prevent getting sick and spreading ‘superbugs’ to others. This initiative is critical in the ongoing battle against global infectious diseases.
AMR is one of the biggest threats to global health, and can affect anyone, of any age, in any country. A continued rise of AMR could cause 10 million deaths per year across the globe by 2050 – more than the death rate from cancer.2 If AMR continues to rise unchecked, minor infections could become life-threatening, serious infections could become impossible to treat, and many routine medical procedures could become too risky to perform.
Dr. Nadine Tarcha, Medical Director for the Gulf at Pfizer, said: “At Pfizer, we are driven by our commitment to protect public health and address the unmet needs of people suffering from infectious diseases. We are excited to have launched this initiative that will raise awareness around AMR. We look forward to continuing our close collaboration with governments and healthcare organizations in order to develop solutions and share resources to help reduce the impact of AMR.”
Pfizer offers one of the industry’s largest and most diverse portfolios of anti-infectives. It is one of the few large research-based pharmaceutical companies still active in R&D for anti-infectives and continues to look for creative solutions to help grow the pipeline.
The company was also recognized as the joint industry leader in the Access to Medicine Foundation’s 2021 AMR Benchmark Report, which highlights the company’s industry-leading policies to improve appropriate access to medicines and curb the threat of AMR. Pfizer ranked high in R&D, Responsible Manufacturing and Appropriate Access, and was named a leader in Stewardship. It was commended for being the first pharmaceutical to publicly share raw surveillance data from its antimicrobial surveillance website platform, the Antimicrobial Testing Leadership and Surveillance (ATLAS) database.
