A Public Health expert, Dr Gabriel Adakole, has urged the federal government to urgently address the increasing threat of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) in Nigeria.
In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday – yesterday, January 27 – in Abuja, Adakole described AMR as a “silent health crisis” that requires urgent intervention.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) says Antimicrobial Resistance occurs when microorganisms including bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites no longer respond to antimicrobial drugs.
This resistance happens when these microorganisms evolve over time and develop the ability to survive exposure to the drugs that would normally kill or inhibit their growth.
AMR is a significant global health threat because it can lead to infections that are harder to treat, longer hospital stays, more complicated treatments and higher mortality rates.
It can also undermine the effectiveness of modern medical procedures like surgeries, cancer treatments, and organ transplants, which rely on effective antibiotics to prevent and treat infections.
Experts have said that a key contributor to AMR is the misuse and overuse of antimicrobial drugs, such as antibiotics, antivirals, and antifungals.
This includes taking antibiotics for viral infections, not completing prescribed courses of antibiotics and the unregulated sale of antibiotics without prescriptions.
Adakole noted that there is a need for immediate and bold actions to curb the misuse of antibiotics in both human and animal health.
According to him, AMR, which is responsible for over 700,000 deaths annually worldwide, presents a growing challenge for Nigeria due to inadequate healthcare infrastructure and weak regulatory frameworks.
Noting that AMR in Nigeria has become more prevalent due to the increased activity of over-the-counter sales of antibiotics and poor infection prevention practices in healthcare settings, Adakole stressed that while “We are making some progress through the National Action Plan on AMR, we are still facing significant hurdles such as improper use of antibiotics and inadequate infection control measures.”
“If we are to effectively combat this issue, we need to strengthen regulatory enforcement, expand our surveillance systems, and significantly improve infection prevention across health facilities,” he said, emphasizing the need for a coordinated, multisector approach to tackle AMR.
To effectively tackle the problem, a collaboration among human, animal and environmental health sectors is critical, Akole stressed, calling for greater investment in AMR programmes, and an increase in community awareness efforts to address public misconceptions about antibiotics.
The expert warned that Nigeria must act decisively, because without bold interventions, AMR could severely undermine the country’s healthcare system, insting that “the time to act is now (as) the longer we wait, the greater the danger we face.”
“Nigeria must adopt stronger regulations, invest in surveillance, and focus on public education if we are to prevent the potential collapse of our healthcare system due to AMR,” he emphasized.
