World AMR Awareness Week 2026
Wednesday 18 November to Tuesday 24 November 2026
World AMR Awareness Week on 18–24 November raises understanding of antimicrobial resistance across human, animal and environmental health.
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Dates and event details
Wednesday 18 November to Tuesday 24 November 2026. Held every year from 18 to 24 November.
| Date status | Date source-confirmed for 2026 |
|---|---|
| Date-check source | World Health Organization |
| Where | International |
What is antimicrobial resistance?
Antimicrobial resistance, or AMR, occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites no longer respond to the medicines intended to act against them. Antimicrobials include more than antibiotics: the category also includes antiviral, antifungal and antiparasitic medicines. The campaign seeks better understanding and coordinated action to address drug-resistant infections.
The 2026 emphasis on One Health recognises connections between people, animals and the environment. It provides a reason to bring different professional perspectives into the same conversation. A pharmacist, veterinarian, food-sector professional and environmental specialist may each contribute a different part of the picture.
World AMR Awareness Week runs from 18 to 24 November 2026. This global campaign builds understanding of antimicrobial resistance and encourages action across human health, animal health, food systems and the environment. The 2026 campaign call is One Health, one action: Prevent AMR now.
When is World AMR Awareness Week?
The annual dates are 18–24 November. The campaign is often abbreviated to WAAW. Older names include World Antimicrobial Awareness Week and, before that, World Antibiotic Awareness Week. These names appear in the WHO campaign archive; the current title reflects its broader antimicrobial scope.
The official 2026 page confirms both this year’s dates and campaign call. Use current assets when planning your event, and identify the year when sharing themed material.
Ideas for schools and community learning
Choose an activity that develops understanding without turning a general awareness session into individual treatment advice. The following are suggested educational approaches:
- Build a vocabulary guide. Ask learners to explain the difference between an antimicrobial and an antibiotic using a suitable official source. Include a link so readers can check the explanation.
- Explore a One Health example. Select a verified case study and identify which people or organisations need to work together. Discuss the questions each partner might ask.
- Compare health messages. Look at how a public health campaign explains a complex idea to different audiences. Consider what makes a message clear without oversimplifying it.
- Invite an expert question session. Collect questions beforehand and give the speaker a clear brief. Keep personal medical questions for an appropriate private professional consultation.
Ideas for workplaces and professional groups
Make the activity relevant to your role. A health or care team can choose a learning topic through its established clinical governance arrangements. A food business or veterinary organisation can use a qualified colleague to discuss its own responsibilities. A communications team can review how it explains the campaign and signs readers towards reliable information.
Ask each group to identify one useful question and the person responsible for following it up. This might be a request for training, a review of a communication or a conversation with another team. Record the scope clearly so that a general campaign pledge becomes a practical piece of work.
Planning and follow-up
Before the week, choose your audience, check the current WHO resources and decide what the activity should achieve. After it, share useful links and review the action you agreed. A short account of what participants learned can be more useful than a collection of unsupported claims about impact.
Related dates include World Health Day and World TB Day. Preserve their distinct campaign purposes when connecting them in a learning calendar.
The date, name history and 2026 campaign call were checked against WHO sources on 23 October 2026. The practical activities above are editorial suggestions, rather than a prescribed WHO programme.
Communicating the campaign responsibly
Make clear which statements come from official campaign material and which are your organisation’s own commitments. Use accessible text, explain abbreviations and check that any images or stories have the appropriate permissions. Avoid using a person’s illness as a dramatic illustration without their informed agreement.
For questions about an individual prescription or animal treatment, direct people to the responsible qualified professional. Public campaign materials should not encourage readers to change treatment based on a social media post.
