Founded by patient, Vanessa Carter, a survivor of a highly-resistant infection and active in advocacy since 2013, The AMR Narrative is a UK-registered Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO), established in 2022 to build advocacy capacity, raise awareness and promote global community engagement in the fight against antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
As patients, consumers, pet owners, parents and caregivers, we play a crucial role in advocating for the responsible use of antimicrobial medicines. By protecting these medicines across human and animal health, the environment and food sectors, we can help ensure a more sustainable future, especially for those most vulnerable to untreatable infections.
Develop public and patient capacity to encourage participation and advocacy through ongoing programmes, mentorship, tools and resources.
Promote patient and public understanding about AMR through access to information, education and awareness raising both locally and globally.
Build a global community and provide a platform for patients and the public to engage in dialogues and other opportunities related to AMR.
Microbes are part of nature and live all around us. Some of them even live harmoniously inside our bodies, but every now and again a bad one can cause an infection. Some infections are resistant to the antimicrobial medicines designed to treat them. Microbes, also known as germs, include bacteria, fungi, viruses and parasites.
treat bacterial infections
treat fungal infections
treat viral infections
treat parasitic infections
The AMR Narrative and Ducit Blue Foundation (DBF) have announced a new collaboration to implement the African AMR Voices Network, an initiative committed to bringing together lived experience and collective voices to tackle antimicrobial resistance (AMR) across Africa. The partnership brings together The AMR Narrative’s expertise in patient and public advocacy and global community engagement
The AMR Narrative was pleased to bring the patient voice to a Parliamentary Roundtable on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) held at the House of Commons on 18 May 2026, focused on translating AMR research into meaningful policy action. The roundtable was convened and led by Dr Rasha Abdelsalam Elshenawy of the University of Hertfordshire, through the
Paignton, Devon, UK – Imagine a world where common infections become untreatable. This is the growing reality of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), a global health crisis most people have never heard of. This May, our charity set out to change that, one conversation at a time. The AMR Narrative founded by survivor and patient advocate Vanessa
My name is Karen Northshield and on the morning of 22 March 2016, I arrived at Brussels Airport to catch a flight to visit relatives in the USA. I had no idea that my life was about to change forever. In an instant, everything I knew exploded into a thousand pieces. Without knowing it, I
My name is Caroline Sampson. In 2016, I had a gynaecological procedure to help manage symptoms linked to the menopause. The day after the procedure, I developed severe pain in my lower abdomen. Doctors told me I had a urinary tract infection and gave me a short course of antibiotics. Although the device used in
My name is Areti, I’m 26 years old and I work as a pharmacist in Athens. These days my life feels active and positive. I enjoy travelling, spending time with friends, cooking, dancing, training, and volunteering where I can. But reaching this point wasn’t simple, and my experiences as a teenager continue to shape how
Advocacy plays a crucial role towards increasing awareness about the escalating threat of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) and the pressing need to take measures to prevent it. Advocacy also serves to educate policymakers, healthcare professionals, and the general public about the significance of using antibiotics and other antimicrobial medicines responsibly. Raising our voices and creating awareness may also help to promote changes in prescribing practices, improved infection prevention and control measures, and increased funding for research and development. Furthermore, advocacy can encourage discussions around reducing the misuse of antimicrobials in food, animals, and the environment which is a significant contributor to the problem of AMR.
Organisations we have partnered or shared our experience with:
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BSc (Molecular biology), BScHons (Microbiology), MBChB (Stellenbosch), FCPath SA (Microbiology), MMed Path (Microbiology), Dip HIV Man(SA)
Dr Stefan Opperman is a clinical microbiology pathologist at the National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS), Green Point Tuberculosis Laboratory, Cape Town, South Africa. He completed his specialist training in the Division of Medical Microbiology, Department of Pathology, at the University of Cape Town and Groote Schuur Hospital, where he remains actively involved in undergraduate and postgraduate teaching as an honorary lecturer.He is also affiliated with the Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Stellenbosch University, where he is completing a PhD investigating clinically important non-tuberculous mycobacteria. He has an additional background in molecular biology, with particular interests in tuberculosis and non-tuberculous mycobacteria, infectious disease outbreaks, and antimicrobial and diagnostic stewardship. Dr Opperman serves on the Western Cape Provincial Antimicrobial Stewardship Committee and actively participates in antimicrobial stewardship ward rounds at peripheral hospitals. He has a particular passion for extending antimicrobial stewardship beyond tertiary healthcare settings into the community, with a focus on practical stewardship, education, and supporting appropriate antimicrobial use at primary healthcare level.
BVSc MSc PgCert CertAVP DipECVIM-CA MRCVS
RCVS Recognised Specialist in Small Animal Medicine
Cameron is a European Diplomate in Small Animal Internal Medicine. Passionate about fungal disease, antimicrobial stewardship, endocrinopathy, and facilitating multiple studies to enhance the evidence base of veterinary medicine. Keen to build collaborative projects with colleagues across Europe and to promote clinical research in practice.
I am a graduate from the National University of Galway with an Honours BSc in Pharmacology, and a recent graduate from Maynooth University with a MSc in Immunology & Global Health. Throughout university, I was an active member of the Global Health Network, which was a student-led group focusing on health, equity, and international development. Here is where I became interested in the global impact of AMR and the multiple factors that influence its spread. I chose to focus my studies on the mechanisms behind resistance and vaccination design; however, I understand that in order to have a global impact, there needs to be global awareness.
The AMR Narrative provides lived experiences and stories from those affected by resistance, something I believe is so important and why I wanted to help share these stories on social media. Translating scientific knowledge into digestible and understandable language is critical for fighting resistance.
Nduta is a global health pharmacist and AMR consultant recognised for her leadership in antimicrobial stewardship, One Health, and healthcare equity. She has shaped AMR strategies and advanced healthcare accessibility across Africa, with a significant portfolio that includes contributions to the Commonwealth Partnerships for Antimicrobial Stewardship (CwPAMS) programmes. As Technical Lead, she oversaw the co-development of the Quadripartite Antimicrobial Resistance Toolkit for Youth Engagement, now used globally to drive advocacy and behaviour change.
Her expertise spans supply chains, pricing, and substandard and falsified medicines, and her research is published in the WHO Bulletin and peer-reviewed journals, informing regional and global AMR policy and practice.
Dr Marie-Anne Bouldouyre is an infectious diseases physician and hospital practitioner in Paris. Twelve years of clinical work in a suburban hospital shaped her understanding of access to care, patient relationships, and the daily reality of antimicrobial resistance.
Since 2022, she has led the Regional Antibiotic Stewardship Centre in Île-de-France and coordinates the national network, working with a multidisciplinary team to promote responsible antibiotic use and strengthen collaboration among healthcare professionals. She also continues to manage complex infections at Saint-Louis Hospital.
Convinced that antimicrobial resistance cannot be tackled by healthcare workers alone, she advocates for the active involvement of patients : understanding, questioning, and taking part in decisions about antibiotics. Their stories are essential to making this issue visible and concrete.
She is proud to collaborate with initiatives such as The AMR Narrative and hopes to foster similar projects in France to give patients a voice in this shared fight.
Dr Erva Cinar is a London based paediatric resident doctor and clinical researcher with interest in infectious diseases.
She is currently completing a Master’s in Public Health at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. Through the World Medical Association’s Junior Doctor’s Network (WMA-JDN) AMR Working Group, she engages in policy and advocacy on antimicrobial resistance and stewardship at global level.
Alongside her clinical and academic roles, she works with the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) and the International Child Health Group (ICHG); leads on organising teaching resources and educational events to improve research skills for UK paediatric trainees and for global child health professionals.
Hamu Madzedze is a seasoned Zimbabwean journalist with over 15 years’ experience.
She previously worked for the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation as a reporter and sub-editor, before establishing an independent website, 365HealthDiaries, which focuses on health and gender issues.
She holds a BA in Media Studies and a BA (Special Honours) in Communication and Media from the Zimbabwe Open University, as well as a diploma from the Christian College of Southern Africa.
Her work has been recognised with several awards, including the Global AMR Special Mention Award (2024), the Sexual Health Rights and Equity Fellowship Special Mention Award (2025), and the Merck Foundation Award (2024) for outstanding coverage of health issues, gender, infertility, and genital mutilation, where she achieved third position in the Online Category.
Hamu is passionate about addressing AMR through the media.
Dr. Jomana Musmar is a distinguished global policy expert and proactive leader with over fifteen years of government experience in strategic planning, operational design, and policy execution. Renowned for simplifying complex topics with expertise and diplomacy, she has spearheaded innovative solutions to global health challenges, shaped impactful policies, and advanced national and international missions.
As the Executive Director of the Presidential Advisory Council on Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria, she established and led the council’s operations, liaising with over 600 experts, worldwide, across government, industry, and academia. Her efforts culminated in the development of critical recommendations addressing antimicrobial resistance and interrelated One Health issues, influencing both domestic and global health strategies.
In her tenure as Deputy Director of Strategic Initiatives for the Office of Infectious Diseases and HIV/AIDS Policy, at the US Department of Health and Human Services, Dr. Musmar oversaw the formulation and implementation of national health strategies for vaccines and a range of infectious diseases including HIV/AIDS and viral hepatitis. Her leadership and technical expertise facilitated groundbreaking policies during national emergencies, including responses to the COVID-19 pandemic, and initiatives to combat congenital syphilis and childhood vaccination disruptions. Dr. Musmar holds a Ph.D. in Biodefense from George Mason University, a Master’s degree in Biomedical Science policy and Advocacy from Georgetown University, and is a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt. Fluent in English and Arabic, she is a sought-after speaker and advisor, having represented the United States at premier global health conferences.
Her published works on antimicrobial resistance, pandemic preparedness, and national health security underscore her reputation as a thought leader and innovator in public health and biodefense.
Chris Shaffer was a music, special education teacher, and high school principal for 45 years. At the end of his educational career, he was thrust into the world of AMR infections when a number of abdominal surgeries left him with an E-coli infection which failed to respond to antibiotics. After doctors in the USA left him with little hope for a cure, diminishing health, and a bleak prognosis, he set out on his own.
Chris found success in phage therapy at the Eliava Phage Therapy Center in Tbilisi, Georgia. With phage therapy giving Chris his life back, he has dedicated his retirement years to advocating for and helping raise awareness of phage therapy used for AMR infections. He tells the story of his phage journey in a book titled, Finding Phage: How I Partnered with a Friendly Virus to Cure My Deadly Bacterial Superinfection. His website, phagetherpyusa.com helps others learn to understand the healing power of phage therapy.
Demi is an Associate Scientific Director at a medical communications agency, with a background in microbiology and a longstanding focus on antimicrobial resistance. She holds an MSc in Microbiology, where she first became interested in the global challenge of resistance and the need to bring scientific understanding to wider audiences.
Demi’s career has centred on a simple but powerful belief: that how we communicate science matters. Her work focuses on making complex data clear, engaging, and accessible – whether for healthcare professionals, policy makers, or the patients most affected by infection and resistance. She has contributed to a wide range of AMR-focused projects, including educational programmes, congress communications and stewardship initiatives.
A central thread in Demi’s work is the importance of the patient voice. She is passionate about making sure real-world experiences of treatment failure, recurrent infections, and the anxiety surrounding resistance are not lost in the data. She believes that listening to patients and involving them meaningfully is essential for shaping more effective, human-centred responses to AMR.
Demi is also a strong advocate of the One Health approach, recognising AMR as a complex, interconnected issue that spans human health, animal health, and the environment. She is particularly drawn to efforts that move beyond siloed thinking and focus on practical, joined-up solutions.
In 2025, Demi joined The AMR Narrative as an Independent Advisor, where she supports the charity’s mission to centre communication, community, and inclusion in the global AMR response.
Outside of work, she is a Girlguiding unit leader and a qualified yoga teacher. These roles reflect her commitment to care, learning, and creating supportive spaces for others.
Andrea has worked in health communications and campaigning for 3 decades. She is committed to fighting AMR through timely and appropriate communications globally,.
Andrea set up Skating Panda, the creative social and environmental impact consultancy, over a decade ago and drives its impact and growth. Focused on original and lasting public interest communications as well as issue strategy and advocacy, the Panda team has a track record of prompting tipping points in the status quo that drive better social and planetary outcomes.
Andrea’s combination of commercial marketing and development experience with deep issue knowledge have been sought by decision-makers at global summits, corporate and NGO board members, and have enabled her to set up multi-million fundraising platforms and push through policies that change and save lives.
Andrea is Vice Chair of mothers2mothers, the world’s largest employer of women living with HIV, and a Board Director of Maymessy, a food poverty social enterprise.
A lifelong advocate for gender equality, she played a key role in establishing the UK’s Women’s Equality Party.
Professor Esmita Charani is a pharmacist and researcher investigating how we use antibiotics in different cultural and social contexts. She works with teams in the UK, India, and South Africa to develop research programmes investigating all aspects of antimicrobial resistance in human populations with a focus in hospital settings.
She has experience in communicating her research with patients and the public through various media including animations, blogs, and educational videos.
