I thought ‘This is serious stuff! I needed to know about it.’ It left me ‘gobsmacked’ and feeling compelled to do something.
What could I do?
BACKGROUND💡. It was a Lecture 9th June 2015 The Cockcroft Rutherford Lecture 2015: Dame Sally Davies. The University of Manchester.
Title ‘The Drugs don’t work
A Global threat.’
The subject: Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR).
WHAT COULD I DO?
Speak up and communicate to raise awareness and hopefully inspire others. Initially, by writing and publishing my first LinkedIn Article – entitled ’Spread the Words, not Infectious Diseases’. At the same time, I wrote and published the first of several blogs on this subject here on my company website.
I also focused on some of my immediate spheres of influence and activity at that time (2015 to 2017) MedComms and Medical Writing groups. A good way to spread the messages through other communicators.
Over the past 10 years I have continued to ‘spread the word’ ad hoc sharing information, the science and other good work I came across.
In doing so I continued to learn about and appreciate the values of trans-disciplinary approaches and specialities including basic science, drug development, frontier research with new approaches, and also the importance of public health and policy. You can learn a lot from looking beyond your own specialisms.
IMPACT: It is difficult to say whether I had much (if any) significant impact, but I am hoping so.
WHY DO ANYTHING? It was simply about ‘doing the right thing’ or what I thought was the best way I could contribute.
10 YEARS ON – SOME KEY MESSAGES:
AMR continues to be a major concern!
There have been advances and progress; great work has been done by many people in different spheres – this needs to continue.
The important role of universities in informing and inspiring action (beyond undergraduate and post graduate teaching).
‘Doing the right thing’ is valid and important.
Think ‘what can I do?’
by Dr Julie Charlesworth 21/7/25
[Here is the link to my first blog on this subject published 10 years ago in the summer of 2015]