Amplifying Survivor Voices of Antimicrobial Resistance
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is often discussed in abstract terms - a global threat, a looming public health crisis. But for Dr. Nour Shamas, AMR became intensely personal when it affected her own family. Read her portrait here.
November 2024 / Portrait written by Gabriela Gilles
Today, Dr. Shamas brings her expertise and personal experience to the WHO Task Force of AMR Survivors, an international initiative that amplifies the voices of those who have survived drug-resistant infections, or cared for those who have. The Task Force aims to raise awareness and drive action on one of the most urgent health challenges of our time.
A Career Shaped by AMR
Dr. Nour Shamas is no stranger to the complexities of AMR. As a clinical pharmacist with years of experience, she was trained to optimize the management of life-threatening infections and understand the delicate balance required in using antibiotics and other antimicrobials. Before joining the WHO Task Force of AMR Survivors, Dr. Shamas led the Antimicrobial Stewardship Program at the Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs in Saudi Arabia. But the global threat of AMR became a more immediate concern for Dr. Shamas when it directly affected her family.
A Family Crisis
The turning point came when Dr. Shamas’ mother developed a urinary tract infection (UTI) following surgery and a hospital stay. Although UTIs are common, what should have been a straightforward treatment quickly became complicated. Dr. Shamas soon realized that hospital acquired resistant infections were no longer just a theoretical risk— they are a real and present danger to her family’s health, and continues to threaten her mother’s life while she experiences recurrent infections while displaced from her home in Lebanon.
The WHO Task Force of AMR Survivors
It is this combination of professional knowledge and deeply personal experience that Dr. Shamas brings to the WHO Task Force of AMR Survivors. The Task Force is composed of individuals who have either survived drug-resistant infections themselves or cared for those who have. Representing survivors of drug-resistant bacterial, tuberculosis, HIV, and fungal infections, the Task Force seeks to humanize the statistics of AMR by sharing these lived experiences globally.
At its inaugural meeting in October 2023 at the WHO Headquarters in Geneva, the WHO Task Force of AMR Survivors set out to carry out critical functions. These include:
- Sharing AMR survivor stories via formal media and social media to reach a global audience
- Engaging AMR survivors in WHO events and discussions on AMR
- Raising awareness of AMR and advocating for improvements across clinical, research, development, and policy spheres
- Advocating for increased funding and donor commitments for the AMR response at all levels
- Developing a framework for patient advocacy and identifying priority areas for continued Task Force activities
Through these efforts, Dr. Shamas and her colleagues are working to raise global awareness about the devastating impact of AMR on individuals and families, while also pushing for more comprehensive solutions at national and international levels.
A Global Call to Action
Dr. Shamas’ journey from a professional in global health to a personal advocate for AMR survivors is a powerful reminder of the human cost of AMR. As AMR continues to evolve, it poses one of the greatest public health challenges of our time, threatening to undo decades of medical progress and making even common infections deadly.
The work of the WHO Task Force of AMR Survivors is more important than ever. By sharing personal stories like Dr. Shamas’, the Task Force is putting a human face on the global AMR crisis, advocating for stronger policies, more research, equitable access to antimicrobials, diagnostics, vaccines, and healthcare in general, and greater investment in the development of new antibiotics and alternative treatments.
The world is watching, and the urgency of the task is clear. Dr. Shamas’ story is a testament to the resilience of individuals who face AMR head-on, and a call to action for the global community to do the same.
For more information about the WHO Task Force of AMR Survivors and the fight against AMR, visit the official WHO website.
WHO Task Force of AMR Survivors
Images: Dr. Nour Shamas, WHO
