While they can help your body fight disease, taking in too much antibiotics is bad for you. Japan’s Health Ministry is trying to get this message across, and they now have some help. This is because the original Gundam pilot himself, Amuro Ray, is stepping in to help get the message across.
Amuro Ray, whose name certainly resembles what the ministry is fighting against, antimicrobial resistance (AMR), is using a spin of one of his signature catchphrases for the campaign. In the poster, he says “AMR taisaku ikimasu!” (“AMR countermeasures are heading out!”). This of course sounds like his pre-launch line, “Amuro ikimasu!” (“Amuro is heading out!”).
Ministry official Hiroshi Naruse said he came up with the idea himself as he tried to figure out how to raise public awareness of the little-known acronym for antimicrobial resistance, which has lead to the prevalence of superbugs, or bacteria resistant to antibiotics. But while the choice of character came from a pun, Naruse ain’t joking and is serious about the campaign. As for the Gundam poster, he argues that the superhero story resonates with the public and syncs with the message that AMR is a huge challenge that humankind needs to overcome.
“We need to approach doctors and patients at the same time,” Naruse said by phone last week. “Antibiotics are often prescribed because of the fixed style of communication between patients and doctors. Patients expect that, by visiting a clinic, they should be prescribed medicine. Doctors prescribe to meet such expectations. If only doctors are educated, patients will not understand why they are denied access to the drugs and leave the clinic feeling unsatisfied.”
Source: Japan Times
