A comic book intended for children aged 8 to 12 is distributed in Geneva to raise awareness of the inappropriate use of antibiotics (illustrative image).
Photo: KEYSTONE/CHRISTIAN BEUTLER
Geneva is committed to the fight against antibiotic resistance. On the occasion of Global Antimicrobial Resistance Awareness Week, the canton is offering a comic strip to children aged 8 to 12 to raise awareness of the risks associated with inappropriate use of antibiotics.
The cantonal health office has mandated the Agora d’Hypatie, an association whose mission is to provide access to science and scientific research to the general public, to produce this comic strip, the Health Department said in a press release on Monday. . The album was designed in collaboration with a committee of scientific experts.
A total of 2,500 copies of the book are being offered to primary schools in the canton and to health professionals in contact with children. The comic is also available for free on the internet. It will be on sale in bookstores from the end of the month.
A million people died worldwide in 2019 from infection with antibiotic-resistant bacteria, according to a study in Lancet magazine. This figure is expected to double by 2050. Surgical interventions that are commonplace today or life-saving treatments could become complicated or even impossible.
This major public health issue is one of the priorities of the World Health Organization. In Switzerland, it is the subject of a national program.
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