The Commonwealth Partnerships for Antimicrobial Stewardship (CwPAMS) has co-created a board game with partners in the UK and Africa to improve capacity among stakeholders in both High-Income and Low- and Middle-Income Countries.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR), particularly antibiotic resistance, is one of the most challenging global health threats of our time. Even under the shadow of COVID-19, antibiotic resistance posed a substantial threat to patients who developed secondary bacterial infections. AMR is challenging to numerous diseases including HIV/AIDS, typhoid, cholera, tuberculosis, gonorrhoea, maternal health, hospital-associated infections, and malaria. AMR is particularly problematic in low- and middle-income country (LMIC) regions where health systems and medical resources, including access to water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) are limited as well as where socio-economic drivers, like extreme poverty, increase the risk of communicable diseases exponentially.

Tackling AMR requires a multidisciplinary approach. Whether a medical team member is a cleaner, nurse, doctor, pharmacist, or other type of health worker, their contribution towards keeping patients safe from infection is crucial to saving lives.

The antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) game encourages players to explore the practicalities of AMS and the different ways we can all help to reduce AMR.

Effective training and capacity building are vital to the success of stewardship programmes, particularly when staff are new to the concept. The AMS Game makes stewardship training engaging and inclusive. It generates fun and enthusiasm with a serious purpose and clear outcomes.

Players discuss AMS and learn what they can do personally, and collectively, to improve stewardship in their organisation and their community. It will help them to understand the scale of the problem and that we are all part of the solution. The four broad areas addressed in the game are:

1. Introduction to antimicrobial resistance & stewardship
2. Appropriate use of antimicrobial agents
3. Infection prevention and control
4. Stewardship and surveillance

Teams take turns to answer and discuss a series of questions and case studies about AMR and AMS. There are different levels of complexity so the organiser can select questions to match the needs of each group. The game can be played by all members of staff:

• Doctors
• Nurses
• Pharmacy teams
• Laboratory staff
• Other clinical staff
• Support staff
• Cleaners & porters
• Students

The game was co-created between partners in the UK and Africa and is equally effective in either a high-income or low-to-middle income setting.

The game was developed by the Commonwealth Partnerships for Antimicrobial Stewardship Programme, (CwPAMS*), led by Commonwealth Pharmacists Association (CPA) and Tropical Health Education Trust (THET) in partnership with Focus Games Ltd. CwPAMS collaborated with its partners in Africa to ensure that the game is relevant and effective.

Support the AMR Tripartite during the tournament
Help us to support the AMR Tripartite (WHO, FAO and OIE) WAAW campaign during the game by wearing something blue, or changing your background to our CwPAMS wallpaper below.

Click to enlarge and save. Learn how to change your Zoom background here.

Sustainability: Buy one Donate one

To help support distribution of the physical board game in LMICs, for each copy of the AMS Game purchased in the UK, Focus Games will donate one copy to a healthcare organisation in one of 24 countries across Africa and Asia supported by the UK Department of Health and Social Care’s Fleming Fund. To learn more about the “Buy one, donate one scheme”, visit: www.AMSgame.com