Students from the University of Valencia explain in secondary schools the world crisis of antibiotics misuse

Students and professors from the Biology degree at the University of Valencia (UV) have explained in secondary schools the antibiotics crisis, antimicrobial resistance and superbugs, within the framework of the Superbugs FORTHEM project. The project, for the last two academic years, has allowed to train up around 50 university students who have worked in more than 25 high schools in the Valencian Community. Moreover, these extramural scientific activities are carried out under the perspective of gender equality. Today, students are showing infographics with information about the project in the Faculty of Biology.

Superbugs FORTHEM is a transnational project led by professors Belén Fouz and Sergi Maicas (Department of Microbiology and Ecology, Faculty of Biology) in cooperation with IES Vicent Andrés Estellés, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Uniwersytet Opolsky and Johannes-Gutenberg-Universität Mainz.

In the project, students have established teaching relationships among the antibiotics crisis, antimicrobial resistance and superbugs, creating a cross-linked system to shape them as an exhibition. In this current project, UV students act as monitors of the exhibition in secondary schools and use game-based classroom quizzes (Kahoot, escape rooms, trivial games, etc.) to engage students and improve learning. Finally, we evaluate activities by means of anonymous surveys.

"Our objective is to continue expanding the project in different universities of the FORTHEM alliance. In this way, form different nodes capable of transmitting the current situation in their respective environments would be possible", explain Belén Fouz and Sergi Maicas.

Antibiotics misuse is a public health problem due to the appearance of resistant strains in almost all human pathogens, making infectious diseases more difficult to treat. The search for solutions requires the development of new antimicrobials as well as novel strategies, including increasing social awareness of the problem.

The antibiotics crisis that we are currently suffering requires awareness and transmission capacity to other colleagues, younger students, friends and family, and in general to the entire European and world society.

This project has the support of the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union, Center for Education and Quality (Lifelong Learning Service and Educational Innovation), Languages Service and Equality Units (University of Valencia).

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