Do Bugs Need Drugs?

A community health promotion program that supports handwashing, preventing infections and wise use of antibiotics. Over-use of antibiotics can lead to infections that are difficult or impossible to treat.

Provides education, print materials, and web-based resources for healthcare providers, children, parents, schools, daycares, seniors groups, workplaces, and the public.

The main messages of the program are:

1. Handwashing is the best way to stop infections from spreading.
2. Bacteria and viruses are different. Both can cause respiratory infections, but antibiotics don't work against viruses like colds and influenza.
3. Antibiotic resistance is a problem. Use antibiotics wisely to prevent bacteria from becoming resistant to antibiotics.

Resources:

• workshops for healthcare professionals and students
• employee group education sessions
• authorized resources for Alberta teachers
• teaching kit for Grade 2 students
• teaching kit for child care children and staff
• teaching kit for assisted living centres
• posters
• handwashing signs and stickers
• handwashing posters available in Blackfoot, Cree, Dënesųłı̨né, French, Saulteaux, and Stoney Nakoda
• pamphlets
• Guide to Wise Use of Antibiotics (20-page guide for respiratory infections) available in Arabic, Blackfoot, simplified Chinese, traditional Chinese, Cree, Dënesųłı̨né, French, Korean, Persian, Punjabi, Somali, Spanish, Stoney Nakoda, Tagalog, Tigrinya, Urdu and Vietnamese
• Healthy Hands at Work: Employer Handbook (20 pages) and Worker Handbook (12 pages) about preventing infections in the workplace and hand hygiene and cleaning/disinfecting products