Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is an ongoing, global threat that requires comprehensive cross-sector efforts to effectively combat.  World AMR Awareness Week 2025 reminds us that combating AMR is not a distant challenge and all need to act today to help secure the future of global public health. For EVI, this means  harnessing the power of vaccines as a crucial strategy to slow the rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

18-24 November 2025

Antibiotics have profoundly changed the global healthcare landscape since their inception in the early 20th century. Previously intractable bacterial infections were made treatable, complications post-surgery were drastically reduced, and childbirth was made safer, resulting in countless lives saved over the last 100 years.

Yet this progress is fragile. Human misuse and overuse of antibiotics accelerate the evolution of resistant microorganisms, threatening to undo decades of scientific and public health achievements. Urgent, comprehensive action and investment is required to maintain the status quo in our hospitals and health centres.

Vaccines play a vital, but sometimes underappreciated, role in the fight against AMR. By preventing infections before they occur, vaccines reduce the need for antibiotics, thereby slowing the emergence and spread of resistant bacteria.

Recognizing this, drives EVI drives innovative vaccine research and technologies to this end:

• PrIMAVeRa  is developing a pan-European data repository and an AI-based tool for estimating the impact of vaccination. The outcomes of PrIMAVeRa will empower policy makers to invest in vaccines with the highest impact on the reduction of AMR. 

• DRAIGON is creating an in vitro diagnostic device that combines artificial intelligence (AI) with whole-genome sequencing for the rapid and accurate diagnosis of patients infected by multi-drug resistance microorganisms, enabling timely treatment and reducing resistance prevalence.

• ShigaPlexIM is advancing a Shigella vaccine,  InvaplexAR-Detox, which has already completed Phase I trial in U.S adults. A phase Ia/b clinical trials are now underway in European and African adults (SunShine), strengtening the R&D pipeline against diarrheal diseases.  

• ShigETECvax consortium is advancing an oral vaccine designed to prevent Shigella and enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) infections, two bacteria that cause significant cases of diarrhoea and suffering globally.  

Beyond these projects, EVI fosters collaboration across researchers, industry, regulators, and public health institutions, ensuring that innovations translate into real-world impact.

World AMR Awareness Week 2025 calls on all of us to Act Now: Protect Our Present, Secure Our Future. Vaccines are among our most effective tools to reduce antibiotic use and preserve the efficacy of life-saving treatments. Through our commitment to cutting-edge research, technology-driven solutions, and evidence-based advocacy, EVI proudly contributes to these global efforts. By continuing to invest, collaborate, and raise awareness, we can ensure that current and future generations are shielded from the escalating threat of AMR.

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DRAIGON: Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HADEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them. 

ShigaETCvax has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 815568 

ShigaPlexIM is part of the EDCTP2 Programme supported by the European Union (RIA2018V-2308) 

PrIMAVeRA has received funding from the Innovative Medicines Initiative 2 Joint Undertaking under grant agreement No 101034420. This Joint Undertaking receives support from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme and EFPIA. This reflects the author's view and neither IMI nor the European Union, EFPIA, or any Associated Partners are responsible for any use made of the information contained therein.

Image: WHO World AMR Awareness Week

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This article is reprinted with permission from the European Vaccine Initiative (EVI), for educational and communication purposes only. Original link:https://www.euvaccine.eu/post/world-amr-awareness-week-2025-act-now-protect-our-present-secure-our-future. Copyright belongs to the original author.