The mass layoffs at federal health agencies, combined with the recent flurry of federal government announcements—paused communications, stop-work orders, and canceled meetings—have the health care and life sciences communities on edge. One announcement I found quite concerning was the cancellation of the Presidential Advisory Council on Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria meeting scheduled for January 28. This was supposed to be a gathering of experts focused on the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), an urgent, deadly issue that needs action.

AMR is often referred to as “antibiotic resistance” in the U.S., but the term applies to more than just bacteria. It means microorganisms, like bacteria, fungi, and viruses, no longer respond to the medicines available to treat them. As someone with an antibiotic allergy that could be fatal, I can’t help but feel personally affected by actions that might slow the progress needed to tackle AMR. It should concern you, too.

I’m a canary in a coal mine. I’ve spent most of my life occasionally using an antibiotic that I now know could kill me if I take it today. It’s a drug I took without issue—until I suddenly developed a critical allergy out of the blue a couple of years ago. If I have a future infection that is resistant to all antibiotics except for the one I’m severely allergic to, the consequences could be dire. This issue should be personal for everyone. Antibiotic allergies can and do come out of nowhere.

Experts warn we’re on the edge of a post-antibiotic era, where once-simple infections could become fatal. Take urinary tract infections, which affect more than 400 million people annually. What was once a routine, treatable infection now has the potential to become life-threatening due to the increasing prevalence of antimicrobial resistance. Without sufficient innovation and access to effective antibiotics, researchers estimate AMR could cause 39 million deaths by 2050.

As a public relations professional working in health care and life sciences, I help organizations communicate their most urgent concerns. Right now, AMR is one of the most urgent issues I can think of. It’s a five-alarm fire that needs more attention, but we’re not hearing enough about it. Last year, we saw a bit of a spark, thanks to the United Nations’ high-level meeting on AMR. But let’s be honest: The headlines about AMR were fleeting, and the conversation has since quieted down. I’m afraid we’re slipping back into complacency.

In the U.K., AMR is constantly in the news, but here in the U.S., we still don’t talk about it enough. It’s time for AMR to have its own publicist. We need to make this issue impossible to ignore. The financial toll of AMR is staggering. Some estimates suggest that AMR could cost the global economy up to $100 trillion by 2050. That figure should be enough to spark urgent action, yet in the U.S., it isn’t. The economic burden alone should be sufficient to rally policymakers, but AMR needs to be made relatable in a way that gets their attention.

Last year, it seemed like we might make some progress on Capitol Hill with the PASTEUR Act, a bipartisan bill aimed at spurring new antibiotic development. New antibiotics could help provide lifesaving options for people with resistant infections. But progress stalled, and without a sustained national conversation, it’s hard for reporters to keep AMR in the headlines.

This is where you come in.

You can make some noise. Reach out to reporters. If you are an AMR researcher, share your findings, your breakthroughs, and your frustrations. Reporters are always looking for stories that bring a human element into the equation, so put a face on the science. Help the public understand the stakes by telling stories that matter. If you’re working in drug R&D, highlight the potential societal and individual patient cost-savings that could be achieved by controlling AMR.

If you’ve personally experienced the impact of antibiotic resistance, either as a physician or as a patient, tell your story. How much did treatment cost when an affordable generic antibiotic became ineffective? How did the resistant infection affect you and your patient, emotionally and physically? This humanization of the issue is crucial. If you’re a writer, consider submitting op-eds or letters to the editor. The more diverse voices we have speaking out, the better. Reach out to podcast hosts or your local TV stations to tell them your story. News outlets are always looking for impactful stories that resonate with their audience, particularly if they evoke emotion. This is your chance to show the world why addressing AMR matters.

We can make AMR a household name. We can get it back into the headlines. But that won’t happen unless we all start acting like AMR publicists.

It’s not just about creating buzz—it’s about forcing policymakers to hear us and take action. We need government policies that will limit the overuse of antibiotics in both humans and animals to slow the spread of AMR. We need incentives for pharmaceutical companies to invest in new antimicrobial drug development. And we need more funding for research and public health initiatives.

AMR is a critical public health issue, and it’s time for all of us to stop waiting for someone else to sound the alarm. We are the ones who can make the noise that gets AMR back onto the national agenda.

So, let’s become the publicists AMR so desperately needs. It’s time to advocate for the action that can save lives and protect future generations from the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance.

Melanie Doupé Gaiser is a health care executive.