The Nigerian Government has called for stronger collaboration across sectors and improved public health interventions to tackle antimicrobial 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, said antimicrobial resistance was estimated to have contributed to 64,500 deaths in Nigeria in 2019, describing the challenge as a “hidden pandemic” requiring urgent, coordinated and sustained action.
Pate made the call ahead of the Fifth Global High-Level Ministerial Conference on Antimicrobial Resistance, scheduled to hold in Abuja from December 6 to 8, 2026, under the theme, “One Health: Advancing Global AMR Commitments to Local Action.”
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AMR occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites no longer respond effectively to medicines designed to treat infections, making illnesses more difficult to manage and increasing the risk of severe disease and death.
According to the minister, 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.
Pate stressed the need to strengthen antimicrobial stewardship in hospitals and other healthcare facilities, improve laboratory capacity and disease surveillance, and promote responsible prescribing and use of antibiotics.
The health minister also urged members of the public to avoid taking antibiotics without appropriate medical advice, warning that antibiotics are ineffective against viral infections and their misuse can contribute to resistance.
He emphasised that addressing AMR requires more than the availability of medicines, noting that prevention, vaccination, early diagnosis, effective infection control and public awareness are essential to reducing the burden of drug-resistant infections
In a related address, the Minister of Environment, Balarabe Abbas Lawal, underscored the environmental dimension of antimicrobial resistance, noting that resistant microorganisms can move between humans, animals and the environment through interconnected pathways.
Lawal explained that AMR could spread through farms, food systems, water, soil and waste, making cooperation between health and environmental authorities essential to developing effective responses.
“Resistance does not respect boundaries, it cuts across sectors, it moves from people to animals, from farms to food, and through water, soil, and waste systems,” the environment minister said.
Lawal called for stronger intersectoral coordination, responsible use of antimicrobial medicines, improved waste management and better water and sanitation systems to limit the spread of resistant microorganisms.
He further stressed the importance of monitoring progress and ensuring that commitments made at national and international levels translated into measurable action, particularly in communities where environmental contamination and inadequate sanitation could increase public health risks.
The minister’s position reinforces the One Health approach, which recognises the close relationship between human, animal and environmental health and promotes joint action against threats that cannot be effectively managed by one sector alone.
Also speaking on the planned conference, the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Adekunle Salako, explained that the meeting would provide an opportunity for countries to assess progress in tackling AMR, identify implementation gaps and strengthen international cooperation.
Salako noted that the conference would focus on accelerating interventions and improving global governance of antimicrobial resistance, with particular attention to translating existing commitments into practical measures at national and local levels.
He cited a 2022 study published in The Lancet, which estimated that bacterial antimicrobial resistance was directly responsible for approximately 1.27 million deaths globally in 2019.
The minister also drew attention to projections indicating that, without effective interventions, bacterial AMR could be directly responsible for more than 39 million deaths worldwide between 2025 and 2050.
Salako stressed that 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.
He noted that the proposed Abuja Compact would be an important outcome of the conference, providing a framework for translating political commitments on AMR into concrete interventions, accountability and measurable progress.
The conference is expected to bring together ministers, policymakers, health experts, environmental stakeholders and development partners to strengthen global cooperation against antimicrobial resistance.
Its planned hosting in Abuja will also place Nigeria at the centre of international discussions on AMR, with the meeting set to be the first edition of the high-level ministerial conference to take place on African soil.
The ministers’ positions highlight the need for a unified response combining effective healthcare practices, environmental protection, responsible use of antimicrobial medicines and stronger political commitment to safeguard the effectiveness of existing treatments for present and future generations.
