The theme for the World AMR Awareness Week (WAAW) 2026 “One Health, one action: Prevent AMR now”  

Our world is more connected than ever. The medicines that save lives, the food we produce, the economies we depend on, and the health of our environment are all connected. When drug-resistant pathogens emerge and spread, they impact our health, animal health, food security, economies and sustainable development. Their emergence and spread are also influenced by the health of our environment.  

AMR is no longer a future challenge; it is a global threat.   

Bacterial AMR is already associated with more than 4.7 million deaths annually. Without urgent action, AMR could cause up to 39 million deaths by 2050, and cost the global economy more than US$3.4 trillion annually, disproportionately affecting low- and middle-income countries.  

Around the world, governments, health professionals, veterinarians, environmental experts, farmers, researchers and communities are already taking action to prevent AMR. They are improving the access, responsible use and safe disposal of antimicrobials, strengthening water, sanitation and hygiene, promoting sustainable food systems, diagnostics and vaccines, reducing pollution and protecting the environment. Every action matters.   

World AMR Awareness Week 2026 shines a spotlight on this shared responsibility. Under the theme “One Health, one action: Prevent AMR now”, the campaign calls on everyone to do their part, recognizing that the health of people, animals, plants, and the environment is closely connected, and that actions in one sector can affect them all.   

WAAW 2026 theme in six languages 

صحة واحدة، خطوة واحدة: لنوقف مقاومة مضادات الميكروبات الآن!  Arabic 

Chinese: 同一健康，同一行动：立即预防抗微生物药物耐药性 

French: Une seule santé, une seule action : Agir maintenant pour prévenir la RAM  

Spanish: Una sola salud, una sola acción: prevenir la RAM ya 

Russian: Единое здоровье, единое действие: Предотвратим УПП сейчас