Children's storybooks developed to address antibiotic overuse in Sri Lanka

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the greatest threats to global health and development, responsible for 1.27 million deaths in 2019 (UN). Often the result of misuse or overuse of antibiotics in farming and health, it is particularly prevalent in low-and-middle income countries.  

Public awareness campaigns promoting responsible use of antibiotics have reduced their consumption in many areas of the global north. However, in key hotspots of antibiotic resistance – particularly many countries in Asia, similar campaigns have not yet been delivered.  

Led by SOAS’s Dr Risa Morimoto and Professor Ayona Silva-Fletcher from Royal Veterinary College, a new research project in Sri Lanka aims to raise awareness of this issue, targeting children and young people through specially designed storybooks, comics and film. 

We call it the silent pandemic – although governments and media have begun to focus on the looming issue of antibiotic resistance, there is still much to be done to address this on a global level.

The project is informed by research led by Dr Morimoto in 2023. The study, titled ‘Comparing Awareness of Antibiotic Resistance in Sri Lanka and the European Union’, used comparative data from household surveys to determine the relative level of AMR awareness in Sri Lanka and the societal factors that drive antibiotic misuse.  

They found that young people in Sri Lanka were the least likely to know about antibiotic resistance and were less likely to use them prudently as a result. Underlying socio-economic factors, such as food insecurity, poverty and lack of access to healthcare and sanitation, were also found to increase the likelihood of self-medication and overuse.  

Building on this study, the research team developed a public engagement campaign, providing accessible information about antibiotic resistance to the target groups identified by their research – children and young people in rural Sri Lanka. 

A children’s e-storybook and e-comic promoting responsible antibiotic use has been created in the three main languages of Sri Lanka; Sinhala, Tamil and English, and will be disseminated to primary schools across the country in the coming months. 

The project also saw the creation of a short film contextualising the dangers of AMR, which was pre-screened for a sample rural youth population in Sri Lanka and planned to be disseminated widely through various channels. Each of these resources are available to download and share from the study’s research portal. 

Speaking about the project, Risa Morimoto said: “Looking at the root causes of antibiotic misuse, a lack of social safety nets appears time and again; in countries like Sri Lanka, where workers may not have paid sick leave or access to general healthcare, over-the-counter antibiotics are often the first port of call. By working with local researchers to target the groups most at risk to the effects of AMR, we hope to create a lasting impact in Sri Lanka and beyond.” 

This research has been funded by the Bloomsbury SET (Science, Economics, Technology) Knowledge Exchange and the SOAS Impact Knowledge Exchange Fund. 

World Antimicrobial Resistance Awareness Week is celebrated from 18-24 November every year. The theme for the World AMR Awareness Week (WAAW) 2024 is “Educate. Advocate. Act now.”