In preparation for World Antimicrobial Awareness Week, 2023, Firstline set out to create a symbol that would represent individual commitment to the fight against antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The symbol needed to be simple, recognizable, and combine a number of key concepts ranging from AMR to collaboration. Here’s how we did it.
Hexagons are Cool
At Firstline, we are big fans of the humble hexagon. It is the only shape that can tile endlessly without being divided into smaller versions of itself. We really like the symbolism of individual, “side-by-side” contribution to a community of equals. This is the spirit of teamwork that the world will need to mount an effective fight against AMR.
Hexagons are also found widely in nature, from beehives to the ring structures in antimicrobial molecules themselves. These naturally occurring hexagons confer properties of strength, flexibility, organization, and efficiency to the systems in which they are found, so we knew that we had to start with the hexagon.
Symbolizing the fight against AMR
When it came to representing the battle between antimicrobials and pathogens, we considered many symbols ranging from pills to microbes and eventually arrived at the beautiful simplicity of the disc diffusion assay.
For those of you who may not be familiar, the disc diffusion assay is a test that may be performed in a lab to determine the effectiveness of an antibiotic against bacteria. Here’s how it works.
A culture of bacteria is added to the surface of a nutrient-containing plate. Paper discs that have been coated with an antibiotic are then added, and the plate is incubated under conditions that favour bacterial growth. Over time, antibiotics will diffuse away from the paper discs and if they are effective, no bacteria will be able to grow in a circular zone around the disc.
Combining the simple, concentric circles of a disc diffusion assay with our beloved hexagon, yielded the base of our symbol.
Fighting AMR Takes All of Us
Healthcare providers, patients, policymakers and more - we all have a role to play in protecting antimicrobials. Given such a diverse group, we wondered what title should be associated with our symbol. What would you call someone who has joined the mission?
We liked the idea of alliteration and toyed with ideas like Antimicrobial Avenger, but the concept we liked best was Antimicrobial Ambassador.
Ambassadors are highly respected communicators and representatives for those who can not represent themselves. In this way, a healthcare provider educating patients about AMR is an Antimicrobial Ambassador. So is a parent attentively helping their child through a mild infection with symptom relief. Indeed, we are all capable of being Antimicrobial Ambassadors!
Go Blue!
When choosing a colour for our Antimicrobial Ambassador pin, blue was a natural fit. It is the colour of the WHO’s “Go Blue Campaign” and has been widely adopted by Canada and other countries, creating a shared visual language around AMR awareness. Blue connects our efforts to a global movement and serves as a reminder that while each of us contributes individually to antimicrobial stewardship, we are all part of a broader community working toward the same goal.
As part of our WAAW 2024 activities, we have turned the symbol into an enamel pin that is available here. We hope you like it and will wear it proudly as an Antimicrobial Ambassador.
