World Antimicrobial Awareness Week: Why Antibiotics Are Becoming Less Effective and How We Can Protect Them

20 November 2025

This week marks World Antimicrobial Awareness Week, a global campaign that helps us understand how important antibiotics are and why we all need to play our part in protecting them.

Antibiotics have saved countless lives and allow us to safely carry out treatments such as chemotherapy, organ transplants and joint replacements. But these medicines are becoming less effective because bacteria are finding new ways to survive them. This is known as antibiotic resistance.

When antibiotics stop working, infections become harder to treat, hospital stays become longer, and everyday procedures become riskier. Globally, almost 5 million people die every year from infections linked to antibiotic resistance. This is why action is needed now, before the problem becomes even more serious.

What is antibiotic resistance?

Antibiotics are used to treat infections caused by bacteria. They do not work against viruses like colds, coughs or the flu.

Antibiotic resistance happens when bacteria adapt and become able to survive the antibiotics designed to kill them. This makes infections more difficult to treat, and in some cases the antibiotics may no longer work at all.

It’s important to remember that it’s the bacteria, not our bodies that become resistant.

Why World Antimicrobial Awareness Week matters

World Antimicrobial Awareness Week encourages us to think carefully about how we use antibiotics and reminds us that these medicines are a limited and precious resource. If we use them wisely, we can help ensure they continue to work for ourselves, our families and future generations.

Throughout the week, clinical teams across Cardiff and Vale are sharing messages, videos and resources to raise awareness of antibiotic resistance and promote safe use of antibiotics.

How can we keep antibiotics working?

Everyone has a part to play in slowing the spread of antibiotic resistance. Small actions really do make a difference. Here are simple steps you can take:

Only take antibiotics when advised by a doctor, nurse, pharmacist or dentist. They are only needed for certain bacterial infections.
Always take antibiotics exactly as prescribed. Finish the full course, even when you start to feel better.
Never save antibiotics for later or share them with someone else. Return any unused medication to your local pharmacy for safe disposal.
Don’t expect antibiotics for colds, coughs or sore throats. These illnesses are usually caused by viruses, which antibiotics do not treat.

Find out more this week

Throughout World Antimicrobial Awareness Week, we’ll be sharing messages from our clinical teams to help raise awareness and support safe, responsible use of antibiotics.

Together, we can keep antibiotics working.