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As a hospital pharmacist, I know that inappropriate use of antibiotics can create life-threatening risks for patients and reduce the effectiveness of new and existing drugs. This is why I work closely with medical and laboratory teams to ensure patient treatment decisions are based on timely diagnostic tests that accurately identify infectious pathogens. Because all of us need to be resistance fighters.

As an infection control practitioner, I realize most patients don’t know that common bacteria, including resistant organisms that may be present on their own skin, can cause life-threatening infections after undergoing surgery. This is why I ensure careful adherence to patient skin preparation and other protocols to reduce infections associated with surgery or other invasive procedures. Because all of us need to be resistance fighters.

When I developed a simple fever for no apparent reason, I never expected to end up as a hospitalized patient in a life-or-death struggle against a drug-resistant infection. I survived my illness because the hospital precisely diagnosed the cause of infection and prescribed the right treatment. Today, I’m doing whatever I can to inform others about the threat of AMR. Because all of us need to be resistance fighters.

As a mother, I worry about my child’s safety in a world where antibiotics won’t necessarily treat infections. I teach him that good hygiene habits, like washing his hands, are important for staying healthy. Still, it’s impossible to protect him from every germ. When he does get a cold, I no longer insist that his doctor prescribe antibiotics because I now understand that antibiotics only treat bacterial infections, not viral ones, and that my son should only take them when absolutely necessary. I advocate for education on antibiotics because no parent should have to fear for their child’s life from illnesses that were once easily curable. Because all of us need to be resistance fighters.

As a microbiologist, I have an up-close view of the antimicrobial resistant bacteria that threaten human lives every day. My focus is to identify organisms that cause infection, determine if they are resistant to antimicrobials and confirm if there’s a drug that will work. Experts predict that AMR may one day cause more deaths than cancer does today. I am determined to not see that happen, and this is why I am always vigilant against AMR. Because all of us need to be resistance fighters.

As a specialist in infectious diseases, I know that even routine medical procedures can become life-threatening for my patients because of AMR. This is why I insist on ordering the right diagnostic tests to determine whether an infecting organism is resistant and which drugs will work, as well as ensuring tight adherence to infection control protocols. Because all of us need to be resistance fighters.