AWaRe1: Smarter Antibiotic Use, Stronger Communities

Antibiotic resistance is one of the greatest health challenges of our time. Most antibiotics are prescribed in primary healthcare settings, yet many are used inappropriately—especially broad-spectrum antibiotics in low- and middle-income countries. AWaRe1 is a global initiative led by St George’s University of London to promote responsible antibiotic use, guided by the WHO AWaRe framework (Access, Watch, Reserve). The program combines research, education, and collaboration to protect the future of antibiotics and strengthen community health.

What We’re Building  

AWaRe1 is more than a project—it is a foundation for sustainable change.

We are building a global research network that connects doctors, researchers, and communities across Asia and Africa, ensuring that local realities inform global solutions. Alongside this, we are developing new tools to measure antibiotic use and its impact on patients, giving health systems the evidence they need to act decisively. Education is central to our mission: through programs rooted in the WHO AWaRe framework, we equip healthcare providers with practical guidance and empower patients to understand when antibiotics are truly necessary. To test these approaches, AWaRe1 is launching a multicountry trial that evaluates how AWaRe-based interventions can reduce unnecessary prescriptions, creating a model that can be scaled across diverse health systems.

Why It Matters  

Antibiotics are among the most powerful medicines ever discovered, but their misuse is eroding that power. Without urgent action, simple infections could once again become deadly. AWaRe1 matters because it is about protecting lives today and tomorrow. By safeguarding antibiotics, we ensure they remain effective for future generations. By empowering healthcare providers, we give them the confidence to make evidence-based decisions even under pressure. By educating patients and families, we reduce the demand for unnecessary prescriptions and build stronger health literacy. And by strengthening health systems through shared data and collective learning, we create a global shield against antimicrobial resistance.

Primary Beneficiaries 

AWaRe1 is designed for the people who shape antibiotic use every day.

Healthcare providers in clinics and primary care centers stand at the frontline, making prescribing decisions that ripple across communities. Patients and families, whose expectations often influence those decisions, gain clarity and confidence about when antibiotics are truly needed. Policymakers and public health leaders, who design national strategies, benefit from robust data and proven interventions that can guide sustainable policies. Together, these groups form the backbone of change.

Engagement Framework  

Lasting change cannot be achieved through one-off campaigns. AWaRe1 is building a blueprint for engagement that is continuous, inclusive, and sustainable. We foster ongoing dialogue with healthcare providers through mentoring and peer-learning, ensuring they feel supported rather than isolated. We invest in patient-centered education that improves health literacy and reduces pressure on doctors to prescribe unnecessarily. We bring together governments, NGOs, and researchers to align priorities and build trust, recognizing that collaboration is the only path forward. And we commit to global data-sharing, so that lessons learned in one country can strengthen practices in another, creating a cycle of collective progress.

Collaborators  

No single institution can solve antimicrobial resistance alone. AWaRe1 is led by St George’s University of London and works closely with:

• University of Oxford, UK
• Universitas Gadjah Mada, Indonesia
• ReAct – Action on Antibiotic Resistance
• Regional partners across Asia and Africa

AWaRe1 is not only a research initiative, but a collective movement to safeguard antibiotics for the future. We invite healthcare providers, patients, families, and policymakers to join this shared commitment—because together, we can build healthier communities and a sustainable future for antibiotics.