Objective 1: Awareness and understanding

Strengthen consumer awareness to improve understanding of antimicrobial resistance and the importance of using antibiotics appropriately.

Ongoing activities:

1  Continue to engage with the media to support accurate reporting on and advocacy for reducing antimicrobial resistance.

2  Ensure information on antimicrobial resistance on the Ministry of Health and Ministry for Primary Industries websites remains current and reliable.

3  Continue to engage with the established animal and agricultural stakeholder forum (private and public) to help stakeholders exchange information on antimicrobial resistance with consumers.

Year 1

4  Develop a coordinated National Antimicrobial Resistance Communications Plan with relevant stakeholders to promote understanding of antimicrobial resistance and minimise its impacts on all of the community in an equitable manner

5  Identify drivers of antimicrobial consumption in human health and use this information to guide the review of existing resources that could influence consumer demand for antimicrobials and increase awareness of antimicrobial resistance.

6  Expand promotion of World Antibiotic Awareness Week (and other relevant initiatives) into community and primary health care settings, and the animal health and agricultural sectors, highlighting what individuals can do to use antimicrobials appropriately (in line with Priority action area 2, activity 1).

Years 2-5

7  Implement the coordinated National Antimicrobial Resistance Communications Plan with relevant stakeholders to increase the understanding of antimicrobial resistance and minimise its impacts in an equitable manner (in line with Priority action area 1, activity 4).

8  Based on identified drivers of antimicrobial consumption and current resources available, update or create new resources as necessary to influence consumer demand and increase awareness of antimicrobial resistance (in line with Priority action area 1, activity 5).

Strengthen communication and education initiatives on antimicrobial resistance and stewardship for all prescribers, and those working in the human health, animal health and agricultural sectors.

Year 1 activities

1  Co-ordinate and expand promotion of World Antibiotic Awareness Week (and other relevant initiatives) to provide consistent messaging for all prescribers and those working in the human health, animal health and agricultural sectors (in line with Priority action area 1, activity 6).

2  Scope projects and resources that could support appropriate human health prescribing, including a focus on making optimal prescribing choices and possibilities for prescriber targets.

3  Develop mechanisms to improve access to resources and guidance on human health antimicrobial stewardship (see also Priority action area 12, activity 5).

4  Review currently available information and develop a step-by-step plan for increasing ‘prudent use education’ (ie, the most up-to-date information on using antimicrobials responsibly) for veterinarians or other animal health or agricultural sector groups that use antimicrobials.

Years 2-5 activities

5  Plan for and implement projects and resources to improve appropriate prescribing of antimicrobials in human health (in line with Priority action area 2, activity 2).

6  Ensure that all human health care team members have ready access to antimicrobial stewardship resources and prescribing guidance (in line with Priority action area 2, activity 3; and Priority action area 12, activity 5).

7  Review the animal, plant and human microbiology and pharmacology content of pre-registration courses and ongoing professional development requirements to ensure they are enhancing understanding of antimicrobial resistance and competence with antimicrobial stewardship.

8  Implement enhanced ‘prudent use education’ for the animal health and agricultural sectors (in line with Priority action area 2, activity 4; and reflecting on outcomes from Priority action areas 3 and 4, activity 10).