Welcome to ‘AMR Aware News’, a voice for the AMR Aware Canada collaboration, annual campaign, and CAN AMS! webinar series.
World AMR Awareness Week is Here!
Bring the AMR Aware Canada Campaign to Life
Our campaign page is packed with materials you can put to work in your community or workplace. From posters and social-media graphics to virtual backgrounds and profile headers, you’ve got everything you need to spark conversation about antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
Here’s how you can use the campaign page:
- Download and print the “Five Things About AMR” factsheet and place it in your workplace.
- Swap your social-media header or virtual meeting background to AMR Aware Canada’s “Go Blue” design and show your support visually.
- Share a social media graphic each day of World Antimicrobial Resistance Awareness Week (18-24 Nov) to keep the message moving.
At your next team meeting, explore the available campaign materials and ask: “How can we use these tools this week?”
Visit the AMR Aware Canada campaign page now and get ready to show strong support during WAAW.
Represent Canada in the Global Movement: #GoBlueForAMR
AMR Aware Canada champions the ‘Go Blue for AMR’ colour campaign to raise awareness for AMR in Canada and around the world. Our amazing collaborators, in every province, have been working hard to make sure Canada is represented in Go Blue this year.
‘Go Blue’ online by updating your social media cover photos with the AMR Aware Canada ‘Go Blue’ graphics and share why you will ‘Go Blue’ with friends, family and colleagues. Share how you Go Blue by sending us an email at nccid@umanitoba.ca or by tagging us in your posts #AMRawareCA.
Look out for landmarks lit in blue November 17 – 24th! Check out our interactive map to find a landmark near you. Make sure to check out the illumination date(s).
Get more ‘Go Blue’ participation ideas and graphics here.
Catch AMR Aware Canada at the 2025 AMR Symposium in Toronto
Join us on Day 2!
Presentation: An Invitation to Make AMR More Meaningful
Time: 8:45 – 9:15 am
In this session, we’ll share how and why the collaborative campaign began, real challenges we face, what we have learned along the way, and what’s ahead. Most importantly, we’ll invite you in. Through interactive polling, we’ll invite attendees to reflect on what drives their professional or personal commitment to tackling AMR. These insights—rooted in real stories and motivations—will help us better understand how to support and amplify the messages that resonate with Canadians.
Are you at the symposium? Share your thoughts, reactions and learnings throughout the event and tag us with #AMRawareCA.
HELP US GROW AMR AWARE CANADA
Know someone who would be interested in our work? Invite colleagues, collaborators, and friends to join our network and sign up for future updates at: www.AMRaware.ca
Events during WAAW
There are several exciting events happening across the world during WAAW. We encourage you to check the full calendar of events and join the action.
Featured events in Canada
Antimicrobial Prescribing Practices in Canadian Hospitals: Insights & Future Directions
Date: November 17, 2025
Time: 1:00 – 2:00 pm ET
Antimicrobial resistance is a serious and growing public health threat. To tackle this issue, we must look beyond how much antibiotics are being prescribed and take a closer look at prescribing behaviours.
Register now to hear from key experts at the Public Health Agency of Canada and the University Health Network about the Canadian National Antimicrobial Prescribing Survey (NAPS), which provides insights in prescribing practices for antimicrobials in Canadian hospitals.
How Urine Tests Drive Antibiotic Overuse Across Health Care Sectors
Date: November 18, 2025
Time: 1:00 pm ET
Join Choosing Wisely Talks for a panel discussion addressing why low-value urine testing persists, the impact on antibiotic use, and system-wide strategies to improve practice.
Taking the Bite Out of Tooth Pain: Using Antibiotics Wisely in Dentistry
Date: November 18, 2025
Time: 12:00 pm ET
This presentation will explore the latest evidence on appropriate prescribing of antibiotics in dentistry. Attendees will learn about key recommendations, communication approaches for patient expectations and practical tools to integrate stewardship principles into daily practice.
2025 AMR Symposium
Date: November 18–19, 2025
Location: Toronto In-person and Virtual
Join AMR Aware Canada at bioMérieux Canada’s 2025 AMR Symposium for two days of expert presentations, panels, and peer exchange centered on the theme “Preserve Antimicrobial Effectiveness: Acting Today for Future Generations.”
Registration for virtual participation is now open!
Allied Campaigns
ANTIMICROBIAL AMBASSADOR CAMPAIGN
Fun for all! Check out these new AMR games from Firstline
Building on the success of Microbial Pursuit, Firstline is launching three new interactive medical education games in celebration of WAAW 2025!
🧩 Infectious Connections: Find groups of 4 that share a common infectious connection
🔍 Microbe-ID: Decipher the emojis to identify the pathogen
🧠 Contagion Crossword: Complete the mini crossword challenge – the timer is ticking!
The goal of these games is to teach key facts about a variety of pathogens and antimicrobials in an engaging, interactive, and fun platform. A new puzzle will be released daily throughout WAAW 2025, after which all puzzles will remain accessible for replay.
Partner Events and Featured Resources
SAVE THE DATE
One Health: AMR & Emerging Zoonoses Conference
Date: March 11-14, 2025
Location: Calgary Alberta
The One Health: AMR & Emerging Zoonoses Conference unites experts across disciplines to address antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and emerging zoonotic diseases (EZ) through a collaborative One Health approach.
Antibiotics 2026: Advances in Antimicrobial Action and Resistance
Date: May 11-14, 2026
Location: Barcelona, Spain
This conference aims to bring together researchers, industry professionals, and experts from around the world to share the latest advancements, exchange ideas, and foster collaboration in the field of antimicrobials, antimicrobial resistance, and innovative therapeutic strategies.
FEATURED RESOURCES
Viral Prescription Pads
To be used with patients who have a suspected viral infection, this time-saving educational tool provides information about symptomatic relief and indicates when to consider a return visit. Adult and child versions are available. Order free copies here.
Choosing Wisely Canada
The Cold Standard Toolkit – The fifth edition of Choosing Wisely Canada’s The Cold Standard toolkit has been released for managing respiratory tract infections in primary care. Includes multi-lingual posters.
Taking a Bite Out of Tooth Pain – Toolkit – A toolkit on using antibiotics wisely for managing tooth pain in adults.
Less is Best – A toolkit for the management and assessment of bronchiolitis.
Ditch the Dipstick & More for Long-term Care – See the recommendations for practice to reduce unnecessary antibiotic use in long-term care, and resources to support conversations on why urine dipsticks and urinalysis may not always be helpful.
HeART of HealthCARE Gallery – Patients for Patient Safety Canada
For World AMR Awareness Week, Patients for Patient Safety Canada has brought together a unique online collection of art on themes of infection, AMR, and sepsis. Visit the HeART of HealthCARE Art Gallery (in English only) here
This bulletin is produced by the National Collaborating Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCCID), the coordinating lead for the AMR Aware Canada collaboration. NCCID receives funding from the Public Health Agency of Canada. The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the views of the Agency.