World AMR Awareness Week
World Antimicrobial Resistance Awareness Week (WAAW) is here, and this year’s theme is “Accelerate Action Together.” It’s a rallying call for collaboration across sectors and disciplines to address the growing global health threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). But how do we get this message across effectively, especially when the stakes are high and the science can seem complex?
AMR is influenced by many factors – from antibiotic use in agriculture to hygiene practices in hospitals. Communicating these complex interdependencies requires more than statistics and reports, it requires storytelling that can capture attention and drive home the urgency of the issue. AMR has been a pressing global health challenge for years. Here’s a glimpse into how we’ve supported organisations in bringing these critical messages to life through impactful visuals:
Highlighting Interdisciplinary Research: We worked with the Quadram Institute to showcase their contribution to the battle against AMR and highlight their role in drawing together interdisciplinary expertise to understand AMR and reduce its devastating consequences. The animation visualises the core strands of the Quadram Institute’s research with dynamic, animated visuals that make the science accessible – even for those without a scientific background – and rallies support for a co-ordinated global response based on the One Health approach. A key highlight was our animated depiction of the Quadram Institute’s headquarters, showcasing its state-of-the-art research facilities. The voice over is delivered with a sense of urgency, and we selected a dramatic but restrained soundtrack, to set the serious tone required.
Engaging Narratives for Social Media: For our Chatham House project, we needed to make the complex topic of AMR clear and accessible for a lay audience. We created bold visuals that would capture attention on social media, using clever, relatable visual cues – such as pills falling down the screen or acting as transitions, and placing text in a petri dish and syringe. We crafted a punchy script that would be delivered solely by on-screen text, avoiding the need for voice over. By distilling the core issues – over-prescribing, poor infection control, and the scarcity of new antibiotics – into bold, vibrant on-screen messaging, we were able to deliver a powerful, concise story. This animation grabs attention, whilst making a serious topic both understandable and memorable.
Showcasing International Collaboration: For the Academy of Medical Sciences, we animated key data points from their report on AMR in India and the UK. We used dynamic graphics to illustrate the alarming rise in resistance rates and the projected impact on public health. By combining visuals with a compelling voice over, we made the data more digestible and emphasised the need for immediate action.
Animation can open doors and spark conversations that static reports often can’t. This World AMR Awareness Week, we’re advocating for creative communication strategies that cut through the noise and make complex science approachable.
