UKHSA antimicrobial resistance awareness campaign 2025

UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has launched a new pilot campaign that FaithAction was involved in informing, focused on antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

This is UKHSA’s first public awareness initiative in England since 2017, and aims to re-engage younger adults with AMR and build support for the behaviours that will help keep antibiotics working. The priority audience is a younger one, so the majority of campaign activity will be on social media channels. The campaign runs initially until 18 May, using the following three messages:

1. Don’t take antibiotics for colds and flu
2. Don’t save antibiotics for later
3. Take antibiotics as directed by your healthcare professional.

The primary target audience for the campaign are adults aged 18-34. The creative approach and messaging has been tested to ensure it resonates with the following audiences:

• Black/Black British & Asian/Asian British communities
• people in the C2DE social grade (encompasses individuals in semi-skilled and unskilled manual occupations, as well as those who are unemployed or in the lowest grade of occupations)

The UKHSA are asking stakeholders to help spread the word of the campaign.

To support stakeholders spread word of the campaign, UKHSA have produced a campaign communications toolkit. It contains key messages, background information on the campaign, statistics and useful links. It also includes ideas for how to promote the campaign through your own channels, including suggested copy for stakeholder publications, as well as supporting materials such as static visual assets and GIFs for social media, suggested social media copy, and printable posters and leaflets. All materials, including the toolkit, are available on the Campaign Resource Centre, where you can sign up and login to download. You can also email FaithAction to obtain the toolkit and specific resources.

There are a variety of ways that you might be able to help communicate the importance of using antibiotics correctly to the primary audience:

• Share information about the campaign with your networks – UKHSA has a wide variety of resources available including static visual assets and GIFs for social media, posters, leaflets and suggested copy for cascade to your audiences. Assets will be translated into priority languages and designed in line with common accessibility standards. Editable files are also provided to facilitate partner co-branding.
• Contact UKHSA if you would like to do something more bespoke – if you are looking to do something special to promote awareness of the correct/incorrect AMR behaviours on your social media channels or website and need some creative input or suggested text for a blog/article please email the UKHSA. Digital assets are also provided for screens in waiting rooms and pharmacies – if you need a different format please get in touch.
• Get in touch about using UKHSA spokespeople – if you are planning a webinar or briefing for your audiences and would like a senior colleagues to speak about the Keep Antibiotics Working campaign, or the broader efforts of the UKHSA as an organisation to combat AMR, please get in touch.

If you have any questions about the campaign or toolkit, please get in touch with the UKHSA.