The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has launched a groundbreaking communication drive to tackle antimicrobial resistance (AMR), by translating scientific messages into four major local languages: Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba, and Pidgin English.
The NCDC, in partnership with the Dr Ameyo Stella Adadevoh (DRASA) Health Trust, the Centre for Infection Control and Patient Safety (CICaPS) at the University of Lagos, and the Committee of Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Universities (CVCNU), unveiled the “SayAMR Language Hackathon” in Abuja, Nigeria’s Capital.
The initiative seeks to develop culturally grounded and easily understood AMR terms to strengthen grassroots awareness and change public behavior on antibiotic use, a model global health experts say could inspire other multilingual nations.
The Director-General of the NCDC, Dr Jide Idris, said AMR is more than a medical issue, warning that it impacts health security, agriculture, and economic stability.
He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to protect citizens under the National Action Plan on AMR (2024–2028), which focuses on prevention, responsible drug use, and effective communication.
Dr Idris emphasized the importance of language in health communication, saying it plays a critical role in changing behavior and raising awareness.
He explained that Nigeria’s over 500 local languages offer powerful tools for national development and community engagement.
Mrs Niniola Williams, Managing Director of DRASA Health Trust, said the hackathon would help bridge the gap between science, storytelling, and community awareness, enabling Nigerians to understand AMR in simple, relatable terms.
“Prevention is not just about medicine or policy. How we speak about AMR will shape how we act on it,” she said.
Meanwhile, Head of Disease Prevention at NCDC and Chair of Nigeria’s AMR Coordinating Committee, Dr Tochi Okwor said that for effective engagement to take place, there is a need to communicate in ways people can understand.
“Many Nigerians cannot articulate the concept of antimicrobial resistance because there are no familiar words for it in local languages,” he added.
Dr Okwor emphasized that antimicrobial resistance is “as much a challenge of language and culture as it is of science.”
She said that the project would empower communities, from farmers to market women, to understand how misuse of antibiotics contributes to the spread of resistant infections.
The World Health Organization’s (WHO) technical officer for AMR and One Health Coordinator in Nigeria, Dr Chavan Laxmikant, described the project as innovative and timely.
Drawing on India’s experience with 22 official languages, he said linguistic inclusivity is vital to building public comprehension of health threats.
“AMR is a silent pandemic that begins in communities,” he warned, stressing that effective communication is the foundation of prevention.
Echoing that view, Project Lead for the World Bank–funded Health Security Programme (HeSP) under the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), Dr Ayodele Majekodunmi, said the initiative reflects a regional approach to a transboundary health crisis.
He praised the hackathon for engaging young innovators and bridging science with community realities through language.
The head of the Infection Prevention and Control Programme at the Institute of Human Virology Nigeria (IHVN), Chidinma Ibe, said the campaign would make infection control practices more relatable.
“When people understand health messages in their own language, they adopt safer practices faster,” she noted.
The Secretary-General of the CVCNU, Prof. Haruna Andrew, highlighted the academic community’s role in the project.
“Language is not just communication; it connects culture, education, and empowerment,” he said, describing the initiative as “a model for integrating innovation, academia, and public health.”
The SayAMR programme forms part of Nigeria’s National Action Plan on AMR, aligned with the One Health framework, which links human, animal, and environmental health systems.