CAMPANHA DE CONSCIENTIZAÇÃO DE ESTUDANTES DA ESCOLA DE MEDICINA E CIÊNCIAS DA VIDA DA PUCPR QUANTO AO USO CORRETO DE ANTIBIÓTICOS

INTRODUCTION: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is currently one of humanity’s major challenges. The rise of “superbugs” increases the incidence of hospitalizations, illnesses, and deaths. Although AMR is a natural process, its alarming progression is primarily due to the misuse of antibiotics in agriculture, livestock, and healthcare, as well as improper antibiotic use by the general population. Patients must be aware of their behavior concerning antibiotics. One proposed solution by leading health and economic bodies to mitigate resistance is through educating the population and health professionals, effectively achieved through awareness campaigns. After analyzing various international campaigns on this topic, this project developed a questionnaire to assess the knowledge of the target audience. This assessment aimed to create an awareness campaign among students at the School of Medicine and Life Sciences of the Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná (PUCPR) about the correct use of antibiotics. AIMS: The objective of this work was to create an awareness campaign among students at the School of Medicine and Life Sciences of the Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná (PUCPR) about the correct use of antibiotics MATERIALS AND METHODS: Techniques such as pre-intervention, intervention, and post-intervention identification were applied, including a social marketing approach. RESULTS: The campaign utilized both digital and physical resources, including a blog, website, banners, informational folders, pins, and a dedicated physical space at the university. During the campaign’s development, numerous past campaigns from different countries were studied, alongside the fundamentals of social marketing as a tool for promoting social well-being. As the project progressed, the School of Medicine and Life Sciences adopted our campaign as one of their own initiatives. This recognition came with a financial budget to build campaign toolkits. FINAL CONSIDERATIONS: At the campaign’s conclusion, the initial questionnaire will be reapplied to the students to evaluate the campaign’s effectiveness. It is expected that the target audience’s knowledge will improve, and their behavior towards antibiotics will change for the better.

KEYWORDS: 1. antimicrobial resistance; 2. awareness campaign; 3. social marketing; 4. behavioral change; 5. antibiotics