The YAAR! Project

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The YAAR! Project brings together young people from four countries in the Global South to help combat the challenge of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), or drug resistant infections. 

 

Central to the YAAR! Project is collaboration with young people from four countries in the Global South: Kenya, Nepal, Thailand and Vietnam. These young people are working together with the YAAR! Project team to do two things: 

1. to identify and evaluate age-appropriate messages about AMR

2. to identify effective platforms for engaging and empowering young people to act to mitigate the increasing global health risks that AMR brings.

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The project is happening in two phases. In the first rapid pilot phase (taking place in 2020) we will: 

• conduct research (online survey, postcard survey and telephone survey), including participatory youth-led research, into knowledge and awareness of AMR amongst children and youth

• work with our AMR Youth Working Groups to co-design age-appropriate messages for children
  and youth about tackling the global health challenge presented by AMR

• test these messages through engagement activities during World Antimicrobial Awareness Week (WAAW) 2020. 

 

In phase two (2021) we will work together with our AMR Youth Working Groups to develop of a framework for learning about AMR. This will identify key points of knowledge and understanding appropriate to different age groups, as well as effective ways of delivering these across a diverse range
of settings and learning environments.

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The project is being delivered in collaboration with, and funded by, Wellcome.

 

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Young peoples’ involvement in YAAR!

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In appreciation of the vital and vibrant role that young people can bring to world issues, this project involves young people throughout the process of research, of identifying and evaluating age-appropriate messages about AMR and effective platforms to engage and empower young people to act to mitigate the increasing risks that AMR brings.

 

In each project country a group of eight to twelve young people have come together in Youth Working Groups (YWGs). They have led peer-to-peer surveys and interviews to help inform appropriate language and messaging about AMR, as well as to capture their peers’ existing knowledge of AMR. Based on this they are advising on key messages and designing engagement activities to deliver these. Follow these links to find out more about what the YWGs in each country have been doing: YAAR! Kenya, YAAR! Nepal, YAAR! Thailand and YAAR! Vietnam.  

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A project-wide Youth Advisory Group, consisting of two young people from each country, have advised the project team and helped support the YWGs. The YWGs have developed engagement messages to reach their peers during World Antimicrobial Awareness Week (WAAW), which took place between 18 and 24 November 2020. These include short films, comic strips and memes all promoting appropriate antibiotic usage and increased knowledge about AMR.

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The project team has also designed an online survey (translated into five languages) which has been distributed to children and young people in seven countries: Nepal, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Ghana, Kenya and Uganda. The simple survey captures current knowledge about microbes, antibiotics, antibiotic resistance and the role of agricultural use of antibiotics in spreading resistance (One Health). Read about the results of the survey here.

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This is how we are working together and how we hope to have an impact on AMR: