Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
A fall in the bathroom changed John's life forever. After fracturing his hip, John underwent surgery to repair the injury. What should have been the start of his recovery turned into a year-long battle with drug-resistant surgical site infection leading to multiple surgeries and rounds of antibiotics. After testing 18 antibiotics, one was found to be effective against the “super bugs” causing John’s drug-resistant infection.
Today, he has recovered, but the infection left him with a permanently shortened leg and dependent on crutches. Now, he is using his experience to advocate for greater awareness of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and the importance of infection, prevention and control.
AMR occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites no longer respond to antimicrobial medicines, like antibiotics.
The World Health Organization’s ‘AMR is invisible, I am not’ campaign puts advocates—like John’s from the WHO Task Force of AMR survivors—front and centre, to share their stories, raise awareness and urge action to address AMR.
Find out more about the campaign and AMR on WHO’s website:
www.who.int/campaigns/world-amr-awareness-week/2024/amr-is-invisible-i-am-not
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/antimicrobial-resistance
A fall in the bathroom changed John's life forever. After fracturing his hip, John underwent surgery to repair the injury. What should have been the start of his recovery turned into a year-long battle with drug-resistant surgical site infection leading to multiple surgeries and rounds of antibiotics. After testing 18 antibiotics, one was found to be effective against the “super bugs” causing John’s drug-resistant infection.
Today, he has recovered, but the infection left him with a permanently shortened leg and dependent on crutches. Now, he is using his experience to advocate for greater awareness of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and the importance of infection, prevention and control.
AMR occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites no longer respond to antimicrobial medicines, like antibiotics.
The World Health Organization’s ‘AMR is invisible, I am not’ campaign puts advocates—like John’s from the WHO Task Force of AMR survivors—front and centre, to share their stories, raise awareness and urge action to address AMR.
Find out more about the campaign and AMR on WHO’s website:
www.who.int/campaigns/world-amr-awareness-week/2024/amr-is-invisible-i-am-not
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/antimicrobial-resistance
