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Chat on X.com: Can People become Community Leaders in tackling the global challenge of Antimicrobial Resistance?

Chat on X.com: Can People become Community Leaders in tackling the global challenge of Antimicrobial Resistance?

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Can People become Community Leaders in tackling the global challenge of Antimicrobial Resistance?

Joining Details

Moderator: ReAct and The AMR Narrative
Date: 10 September 2024
Where: X.com (Previously Twitter)
Time: 4pm CEST (2pm GMT, 4pm CAT, 3pm BST, 10am EDT)
Hashtag: #theAMRnarrative

Registration: The session is open to everyone. Registration is not necessary.

Overview
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a pressing global health concern that demands a comprehensive, patient, public and community-driven approach. This phenomenon where microbes evolve to resist the effects of antimicrobial medications designed to treat them, poses a significant threat to public health.

Crucially, the fight against AMR cannot be waged by healthcare professionals alone. It requires active involvement from every sector of society – patients, carers, the public, and wider community. Not only in human health, but also in animal health, the environment, food production and agriculture. 

Educating everyone about the importance of using antimicrobial medicines responsibly is essential. Now, here’s where you come in. Ever taken antibiotics for a cold or flu? Well, that’s a no-no! Antibiotics are meant for bacterial infections, they do not treat colds or flu which are usually caused by viruses. Using antibiotics when they are not needed contribute to the development and spread of resistant microbes. We need to spread the word about using these medicines responsibly and when they are really needed. Next time you’re at the doctor’s, don’t be shy – ask questions, voice your concerns. It’s all about open communication.

The wider community, including schools, workplaces, religious leaders, and local organisations, plays an essential role in addressing AMR. We need to get creative about raising awareness. How about community workshops or fun social media campaigns? Imagine TikTok challenges about hand hygiene! And let’s not forget about schools, workplaces, and local organisations. They can all play a part in teaching people about preventing infections and using medicines wisely.

Here’s a cool idea: why not get your local pharmacy or community group involved? They could team up with healthcare providers to share info and resources about AMR. The more voices we have in this conversation, the better!

By educating patients, the public, communities and policymakers about the dangers of AMR, advocacy campaigns can ensure that the issue remains a high priority on national and international agendas. This is particularly important in securing funding for research and the development of new antimicrobials and alternative treatments.

So, what are you waiting for? Just go ahead and sign the “From People to Leaders: Act on AMR NOW!” campaign’s  petition, launched by ReAct and PAHO, which calls for greater patient and community involvement in the global response to AMR.  The petition will be handed over to world leaders at the United Nations High-Level Meeting on AMR at the UN General Assembly in New York on 26 September.

And before that important meeting make sure you join us on 10 September at 4pm CEST for a community dialogue on the growing challenge of AMR. The dialogue will be hosted on X.com by The AMR Narrative, in partnership with ReAct. 

Looking forward to seeing you all there!

 


Questions: 
– Introductions first (5-10 mins, then questions asked every 10 mins thereafter)
T1: How can healthcare providers and policy makers work more closely with patients and community organizations to combat AMR?
T2: What specific actions would you like to see world leaders commit to in order to address AMR, when they meet at the UN General Assembly in September this year.
T3: How could we simplify AMR messaging to reach a wider community?
T4: How can patients or carers with lived experience of AMR impact the public, communities, policymakers, and others?
CT: Any closing thoughts about how people can become leaders to tackle AMR?

 

How to participate:

Download the guidance document here.

Join us for a 60-minute community dialogue on X with our panel experts. Both panel experts and the public are encouraged to answer. Use the #theAMRnarrative hashtag in all your posts so that you are visible to others in the chat and captured on the transcript.

  1. The session will be in a text format.
  2. To join, login to X.com (Previously Twitter) and search for the hashtag #theAMRnarrative making sure to select “latest” in the menu bar. Alternatively, if you’re unable to see the feed, follow @theAMRnarrative to see the questions posted live.
  3. We start with introductions for the first few minutes. Tell us who you are and what you do.
  4. Questions will be prompted every 10-minutes thereafter. Start your answers with the relevant T and number and always end with the hashtag #theAMRnarrative.
  5. The session can move quickly, therefore we advise our guests to prepare answers in advance. The questions can be viewed above.
  6. Registration isn’t necessary and the chat is open to everyone.
  7. The dialogue will be moderated in English, but feel free to answer in your local language.

First and foremost, it’s the use of the hashtag that makes a dialogue like this work. Watch out for spelling mistakes and remember “the” – (i.e., #theAMRnarrative not #AMRnarrative)

 

Special Guest Experts:

  1. Dr. David Owoeye – Sickle Cell Warrior, Advocate and Author. AMR Survivor, Saudi Arabia / Nigeria
  2. J. Randolph K. Keah – Head of Programs, Consummate Health and Sanitation, Liberia
  3. Mary Lynne Van Poelgeest – President of the World Federation of Incontinence and Pelvic Problems and AMR (from the patient perspective), Netherlands
  4. Flavia Kyomukama – Ugandan female patients’ and community systems strengthening financing advocate. She has lived with HIV since 1994 and is a cancer survivor since 2021. Flavia represents African patients and has worked with the International Alliance of Patients organisations (IAPO), represents NNGOs in terms of GFATM Uganda CCM, is the current Executive Director of Action Group for Health Human Rights and HIV/AIDS (AGHA), Uganda
  5. Dr Ghada Zoubiane – Head of Partnerships at ICARS
  6. Ibrahima Kouma – Blogger and Working Group Leaders at One Health in Action Initiative, Ivory Coast, Africa
  7. Daniel Waruingi – Capacity Development and Youth Engagement Manager (ReAct) and Students Against Superbugs, Africa
  8. Mbali Jiyane – Content Assistance and Programme Officer for Eh!woza, South Africa
  9. Claudia Louati – Head of Policy, European Patients’ Forum (EPF), Europe
  10. Nour Shamas – Antimicrobial Stewardship Clinical Pharmacist and Policy Advisor, Member: WHO Task Force of AMR Survivors, Lebanon
  11. Rob Purdie – Founding Member of MyCare (Mycology Advocacy, Research and Education), Member: WHO Task Force of AMR Survivors, USA
  12. Ivy Dimarucut – Member of the Board, Alliance of Patients’ Organisations Singapore (APOS)
  13. Ngoni Veddie Muzondo – Head of Programs, Generational Stewards for Antimicrobials, Zimbabwe
  14. Tafara Dandadzi – Deputy Director, Catholic Youth Network for Environmental Sustainability in Africa (CYNESA)
  15. Regis Irankunda – Co-Founder Executive Director, AMR Alliance Rwanda
  16. Brandon Jaka – Pharmacist and HIV drug-resistance survivor, Member: WHO Task Force of AMR Survivors, Zimbabwe
  17. Dr Mayowa Sodiq Akinpelu – Chairperson, African Youth AMR Alliance Task Force
  18. Phumeza Tisile – XDR-TB and AMR Survivor, Research Assistant and Advocacy Officer at TB Proof, South Africa
  19. Candy Jacobs – Project Manager at TB Proof, South Africa
  20. Dr Francesca Chiara – Chair of the Board of Trustees, The AMR Narrative, UK
  21. Marina Ungurenci – Quadripartite Working Group of Youth Engagement for AMR
  22. Karina Khatic – Quadripartite Working Group of Youth Engagement for AMR
  23. Vida Parady – External Relations, ReAct, Indonesia
  24. Ndege Ngere – Director, AMR Now
  25. Ezechiel Prosper Noali – Actions des Jeunes contre la Résistance aux Antimicrobiens – AJRAM
  26. Silvana Figar – SAM: Sociedad Argentina de Medicina, Argentina
  27. Fitria Nur Hidayah – PAPRA Indonesia
Info
Category: ,
Location: X.com
Date: September 10, 2024
Duration: 1 Day

Dr Marie-Anne Bouldouyre

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

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

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.

Jomana F. Musmar

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

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 Christofi

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 Hartley

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.

Esmita Charani

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.