FG Calls For Heightened Efforts To Tackle Anti-Microbial Resistance
- Chiamaka Livingstone
The Nigerian Government has called for stronger cross-sector collaboration and improved public health interventions to tackle anti-microbial resistance, (AMR), warning that drug-resistant infections pose a growing threat to lives, healthcare delivery and national development.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, made the call ahead of the Fifth Global High-Level Ministerial Conference on Antimicrobial Resistance, scheduled to take place in Abuja from 6 to 8 December 2026, under the theme, “One Health: Advancing Global AMR Commitments to Local Action”.
Professir Pate said anti-microbial resistance was estimated to have contributed to 64,500 deaths in Nigeria in 2019, describing it as a hidden pandemic requiring urgent, coordinated and sustained action.
According to him, AMR occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites develop resistance to medicines designed to treat infections, making illnesses more difficult to manage and increasing the risk of severe disease and death.
He said the inappropriate use of antibiotics and other antimicrobial medicines, alongside gaps in infection prevention, diagnosis and surveillance, can accelerate the development and spread of drug resistance.
The Minister stressed the need to strengthen anti-microbial stewardship in hospitals and other healthcare facilities, improve laboratory capacity and disease surveillance, and promote the responsible prescription and use of antibiotics.
He also urged members of the public to avoid taking antibiotics without appropriate medical advice, explaining that antibiotics are ineffective against viral infections and that their misuse can contribute to drug resistance.
He said tackling AMR requires more than access to medicines, emphasising that prevention, vaccination, early diagnosis, effective infection control and public awareness are essential to reducing the burden of drug-resistant infections.
Also, the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Adekunle Salako, said the meeting will enable participating countries to assess progress in tackling AMR, identify implementation gaps and strengthen international cooperation.
According to him, the conference will focus on accelerating interventions and improving global governance of anti-microbial resistance, particularly by translating existing commitments into practical measures at national and local levels.
The Minister also noted that without effective interventions, bacterial AMR could be directly responsible for more than 39 million deaths globally between 2025 and 2050.
He said the figures underscored the urgency of coordinated action, stronger health systems, improved surveillance, responsible antimicrobial use and sustained investment in measures to prevent and control drug-resistant infections.
Highlighting the environmental dimension of anti-microbial resistance, the Minister of Environment, Balarabe Lawal, said that resistant micro organisms can spread between humans, animals and the environment through interconnected pathways.
Mr. Lawal said AMR could spread through farms, food systems, water, soil and waste, making collaboration between health and environmental authorities essential to an effective response.
He therefore called for stronger inter-sectoral coordination, responsible use of anti-microbial medicines, improved waste management, and better water and sanitation systems to limit the spread of resistant microorganisms.
