Vet School turns blue to highlight antimicrobial resistance challenge

Aberystwyth University’s School of Veterinary Science lit up blue for World Antimicrobial Resistance Awareness Week

Aberystwyth’s Vet School has been lit up blue to draw attention to the challenge of antimicrobial resistance.

Antimicrobial resistance occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites change over time and no longer respond to medicines, making infections harder to treat and increasing the risk of disease spread and illness.

This drug resistance means antibiotics become ineffective and infections increasingly difficult or impossible to treat.

Run by the World Health Organization, World Antimicrobial Resistance Awareness Week is a global campaign to improve awareness and understanding and encourage best practices to tackle it.

During the week, staff at Wales’ first and only School of Veterinary Science at Aberystwyth University are turning the lights blue in support of the initiative.

Professor Darrell Abernethy, Head of Aberystwyth University’s School of Veterinary Science, said:

“I'm glad that we as a School can help draw attention to this important subject. The fact that the World Health Organization has such a campaign underlines how much needs to be done in the field of antimicrobial resistance. Very often, there are fairly simple practices that can help prevent disease and reduce the need to use antibiotics. We as a sector have a lot of work to do to raise awareness of the problem and inform farmers and others in the community about the solutions."

The University has significant expertise in the field. Earlier this year, an Aberystwyth University academic’s project was highlighted as an example of best practice by the UK Government.

Last year, Dr Gwen Rees won The Antibiotic Guardian Awards, which are given to those who have demonstrated achievements in the area, for her leading role in the Welsh Government-funded Arwain DGC project.

She has also presented her work on Veterinary Prescribing Champions internationally over the last year, including in New Zealand, Austria and Ireland.

Dr Rees has started to hold a series of One Health workshops in Aberystwyth, bringing together vets and trainee GPs in Ceredigion to share experiences of antimicrobial stewardship and discuss common challenges.

Dr Gwen Rees from Aberystwyth University added:

“Work in this field is vitally important, and I’m thankful to be able to play my part in the effort.  Our projects have already given us new insights into the development and spread of antimicrobial resistance, and the Veterinary Prescribing Champions Network has developed an innovative community of highly trained vets who can make a real difference to how antibiotics are used here in Wales.”

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