[Summary] This report aims to help experts and practitioners to communicate with impact, so that the public understands and supports action on drug-resistant infections.
How to communicate about antimicrobial resistance effectively
This report aims to guide experts, communicators and practitioners to communicate with impact, so that the public understands and supports action on drug-resistant infections.
findings based on extensive research (in-depth interviews with experts; quantitative and qualitative message testing with 12,000 people in Germany, India, Japan, Kenya, the UK, the USA and Thailand; media and social media analysis)
recommendations on effective framing and language
practical toolkit to help apply the recommendations
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policy makers, researchers and experts working on drug-resistant infections
journalists and communicators
clinicians, practitioners and patients
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Why this is important
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Why this is important
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Global action to tackle drug-resistant infections is not happening at the scale and urgency needed. Action among political leaders can be strengthened with public support. But public understanding of antimicrobial resistance and its impact is currently limited.
We can change this by communicating more powerfully.
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Key recommendations
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Key recommendations
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The report outlines five evidence-based principles for communicators to keep in mind when talking to the public about drug-resistant infections. When used together, they are more likely to create communication that informs, motivates and persuades.
1. Frame drug-resistant infections as undermining modern medicine
Demonstrate how drug-resistant infections are a cross-cutting threat across all of medicine, which set back and undermine treatments that we have come to rely on.
Illustrate using multiple examples that are relevant to the audience.
2. Explain the fundamentals succinctly
Help the public understand resistance (particularly that bacteria develop resistance, not humans).
Include explanation of the part that human activity is playing in accelerating the issue.
3. Emphasise that this is a universal issue; it affects everyone, including you
Show that anyone could be affected, not only the most vulnerable groups.
Tell human stories; numbers and statistics generally resonate less strongly with the public.
4. Focus on the here and now
Show the current impact of drug-resistant infections, rather than projections or apocalyptic frames.
5. Encourage immediate action
Frame the issue as solvable – people want to know what can be done about the problem.
This report aims to guide experts, communicators and practitioners to communicate with impact, so that the public understands and supports action on drug-resistant infections.
In this webinar, you’ll hear about: what framing is and why it's important for driving policy action (01:40), research methodology for Reframing Resistance (07:30), the current communications landscape for antimicrobial resistance (10:35), and the five recommendations in the report (15:08).
We're keen to hear about your experiences of using the report and toolkit, and any ideas on what tools or advice would be useful for you. Let us know at DrugResistantInfections@wellcome.org.
For media enquiries, contact Maggie Stratton at +44 (0)207611 8609 or m.stratton@wellcome.org.
If you’re an advocate, policy maker or expert working on drug-resistant infections, you often need to write convincingly to make your audience understand and care about the issue. Here are some practical examples to help you do that.
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How to write persuasively about drug-resistant infections
This Q&A explains what drug-resistant infections are, who is affected and what we can do to stem them.
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What are drug-resistant infections?
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Q&A
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Ryan Chapman/Wellcome
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Our collective overuse of antibiotics in humans, animals and plants is accelerating the development and spread of drug-resistant infections.
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Reframing Resistance | Reports | Wellcome
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Wellcome's report aims to guide experts, communicators and practitioners to communicate with impact about antimicrobial resistance (drug-resistant infections).
