Experts have raised concerns over the rise in antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in Nigeria as it continues to escalate, placing the nation among the worst-hit globally.
Globally, AMR is responsible for 4.95 million deaths annually, with 1.27 million directly attributed to drug-resistant infections.
They said, if AMR is left unchecked, this trend could lead to up to 10 million deaths annually by 2050. In Nigeria, AMR claims 263,400 lives annually, with 64,500 fatalities directly caused by resistant infections.
The Consultant Clinical Microbiologist, Senior Lecturer, and Certified Infection Preventionist, Dr Mary Alex-Wele, in her presentation at a training and capacity-building event for journalists and CBOs on AMR Advocacy and Media Reporting, raised concerns over Nigeria’s AMR-related mortality rate. She said AMR is expected to trigger economic losses amounting to $100 trillion globally, with a projected 3.8% GDP decline and severe disruptions in livestock production.
Alex-Wele, therefore, called for the urgent need for stronger policies, increased research funding, and widespread public awareness campaigns.
The training was implemented by the Management Sciences for Health (MSH) under the Fleming Fund Country Grant Antimicrobial Resistance Phase II with the support from the UKAID.
She said without immediate and sustained intervention, Nigeria is heading towards a post-antibiotic era where common infections become untreatable, reversing decades of medical progress.
She pointed out the necessity of a coordinated response, advocating for the “One Health” approach, a framework integrating human health, food production, environmental sustainability, and animal health.
Also, in his presentation, the Technical Officer at World Health Organization (WHO) Nigeria, Dr Chavan Laxmikant, said AMR is not a future threat; it is a present danger, adding that governments, industries, and communities must work together to safeguard our future.
“The Interagency Coordination Group on AMR outlined key recommendations, including accelerating national response strategies, fostering innovation, enhancing collaboration, and strengthening global accountability. These measures are expected to mitigate the crisis and protect public health.
“Recent health data positions AMR among the leading causes of death in Nigeria, surpassing fatalities from respiratory infections, enteric infections, maternal and neonatal disorders, and neglected tropical diseases. While diseases like tuberculosis and malaria remain major concerns, AMR’s silent rise has alarmed healthcare professionals.
“AMR occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites evolve resistance to antibiotics and other antimicrobial drugs, rendering standard treatments ineffective.
“This results in prolonged illnesses, higher healthcare costs, and increased mortality rates. The WHO has repeatedly warned that without urgent intervention, AMR could become the world’s leading cause of death.”
The unchecked rise of AMR poses several threats: increased morbidity and mortality; longer hospital stays, overburdening an already strained healthcare system; costlier treatments due to the need for more expensive antibiotics and procedures; higher risk of resistant hospital-acquired infections; complications in surgeries and routine medical treatments; and financial losses in agriculture due to drug-resistant livestock diseases.
In response to this crisis, Nigeria has developed two National Action Plans (NAPs) in the past eight years, aligned with the Global Action Plan on AMR. The latest, NAP 2.0, launched on October 18, 2024, will guide the country’s AMR mitigation efforts until 2028.
This plan, rooted in a multisectoral situation analysis, aims to: strengthen surveillance and data collection; promote responsible antibiotic use; enhance infection prevention and control measures; invest in research and development for alternative treatments; and improve public education on AMR risks.
As AMR continues to claim lives, immediate and sustained efforts are crucial to preventing a full-scale health crisis. The battle against AMR is not just for healthcare professionals but for every Nigerian, as inaction could have catastrophic consequences for future generations.
ALSO READ TOP STORIES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
and then