Toppling modern medicine giant jenga tower illustrates antibiotic apocalypse

Student playing Modern Medicine Jenga

The HPRU team has been busy involved in various Patient and Public Engagement events in the run up to and during World Antibiotic Awareness Week

We kicked off at the Imperial Infection Lates when our team manned four separate stands, including the ever popular Battling the Bugs with our staff inviting the public to take action as Antibiotic Warriors!

Snakes and Ladders returned with a brand new giant board. The public were invited to Play your Cards Right based on the popular Bruce Forsyth game and this year we showcased a new game Modern Medicine Jenga that proved to be immensely popular. The concept of modern medicine balancing precariously without antibiotics illustrated perfectly an antibiotic apocalypse.

Our stands dominated the games arcade with energetic interaction and engagement from members of the public and the College community. Visitors were invited to surrender their unwanted antibiotics in exchange for a free drink. This incentive proved to be a huge success and we collected a vast range of antibiotics including amoxicillin, flucloxacillin, metronidazole among others. 

The following week to coincide with World Antibiotic Awareness Week the Unit held its annual Antibiotic Amnesty. Once again we showcased the Modern Medicine Jenga game and invited staff and students to sign up to become Antibiotic Guardians and surrender unwanted antibiotics across the Hammersmith Hospital and South Kensington campuses.

This initiative was adopted by the New Zealand government this year following our success over recent years.

Finally, the Unit launched a free new online learning programme entitled ‘Tackling Antimicrobial Resistance: A Social Science Approach’ during World Antibiotic Awareness Week that we have developed with the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy and Futurelearn. Details for course registration are here.