My name is Emile NGABO, I first became aware of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) during my early medical training, when I saw patients, whose infections were increasingly difficult to treat despite available medicines. It raised a question that has stayed with me since: how do we protect antimicrobials for the generations that come after us?
Dr. Emile Ngabo and fellow doctors raising awareness of AMR.
In November 2022, during World Antimicrobial Awareness Week (WAAW), I opened a session at the University of Rwanda introducing AMR to students and staff. Beyond the technical content, I wanted to share a simple idea: the fight against drug-resistant infections cannot be left to experts alone. It requires students, communities, and even children to understand and act.
That belief led me to found OAZIS Health, a community-driven initiative that brings together healthcare professionals and digital health actors to strengthen antimicrobial stewardship through collaboration with communities. In my current work at OAZIS Health, I support a free CPD-accredited online AMR courses and peer-learning activities in health facilities. The aim is to ensure that every facility can have at least one trained AMR focal person supporting responsible antimicrobials use though the OAZIS antimicrobial stewardship program.
Working in low-resource settings brings persistent challenges, including limited access to continuous training, uneven availability of treatment guidelines, and high clinical workloads. To respond, we have focused on practical, adaptable approaches such as peer-to-peer learning, mobile-friendly AMR training content, and community outreach through radio discussions and child-focused educational materials.
The launch of OAZIS Antimicrobial stewardship program for young healthcare professionals
During WAAW 2022, our team trained 25 health and veterinary professionals in Nyanza, engaged more than 500 community members in Huye, and reached over 2,000 people through media and outreach. Beyond these numbers, awareness and responsible antimicrobials use improved. This work has continued beyond 2022, and through my participation in the Quadripartite Working Group on Youth Engagement for AMR, local experience is being elevated and translated into coordinated global, cross-sector action.
Dr. Emile Empowering University Students on AMR
“AMR threatens to undo the achievements of modern medicine. Let us each take responsibility, one steward, one patient, and one child at a time, to protect antimicrobials today and safeguard their effectiveness for future generations.”