From Play to Prevention: Building a Digital Developer Hub to Gamify Hygiene and Combat AMR in African and European Schools
Authors: Authors: Lars Münter1,2, Carina Dantas3,4, Miriam Cabrita3, Paloma Moraga Alapont – IHI READI, Patty Kostkova – UCL, Colin Brown7, Nina Sønderberg1,2.
Acknowledgements; Marcello Gelormini – WHO, Brian Wong – Maastricht University, Alexandra Bettell and Elin Hatch – SERMAS, Chao Sun – Leiden University Medical Center, Ines T Oliveira, Margarida Lira, and from EHFF also David Somekh, Tanja Valentin, Rui Louireiro, Edoardo Montin
1. Nordic Wellbeing Academy, 2. European Health Futures Forum, 3. SHINE 2Europe, 4. SHAFE Foundation, 5. IHI READI, 6. UCL, 7. UK Health Security Agency
Background and Rationale
While antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is escalating globally, public engagement with hygiene remains low – and this is the most accessible preventive tool. Evidence from hygiene literacy research and AMR strategy dialogues shows that gamification can transform awareness into action, especially among youth. Yet both Africa and the EU lack a sustainable infrastructure to create, localize, and scale digital hygiene education tools. A dedicated digital developer hub can fill this gap by enabling co-creation of culturally relevant games, apps, and learning platforms for AMR prevention.
Objectives
Based on a Tutorial workshop held at DPH2025 in Madeira, we propose to establish an inter-regional digital developer hub by coordinating volunteers working with skilled experts that:
- Supports designers, educators, and public health actors to co-create gamified AMR tools;
- Generates locally adapted hygiene education games for school and community use;
- Facilitates long-term digital capacity for AMR prevention across contexts.
Methods
Insights from hygiene literacy frameworks and AMR stakeholder workshops informed the hub concept. A pilot phase will:
- Mobilize a network of youth developers, game designers, and health experts;
- Launch a collaborative platform to design mobile-first hygiene literacy games;
- Integrate storytelling, real-time risk messaging, and behavioural tracking into game mechanics;
- Partner with schools and ministries to pilot and refine outputs.
Expected Results
- At least five new gamified hygiene tools co-developed and piloted in diverse African or European school settings;
- Enhanced digital skill-building among youth developers and educators;
- Increased hygiene knowledge, behavioural change, and AMR awareness among students;
- A sustainable pipeline for community-generated AMR education materials.
Conclusion and Implications
This initiative reframes AMR prevention as a collaborative digital challenge, investing in local talent to co-create engaging, risk-based hygiene education. An inter-regional developer hub ensures scalable, culturally grounded tools that empower communities and align with Digital Health Africa’s priorities in digital innovation, citizen science, and behavioural change.
Keywords
Gamification · Digital developer hub · Antimicrobial resistance · Hygiene education · Behavioural innovation