Abuja: The Federal Government has issued a warning that Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) could result in 10 million deaths globally each year by 2050, with a significant portion, approximately four million, expected to occur in Africa. This alarming forecast was disclosed by the Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Maiha, during the launch of the 2025 World Antimicrobial Resistance Awareness Week (WAAW) in Abuja. The awareness week is scheduled to take place from November 18th to 24th.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Minister Maiha, represented by Dr. Chinyere Akujobi, the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, emphasized that the goal of WAAW is to increase awareness about the public health threats posed by AMR and to promote practices that help limit the spread of resistant infections. He explained that AMR occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites no longer respond to antibiotics that were once effective against them.
Maiha noted that while AMR can occur naturally, it is exacerbated by inappropriate antibiotic use, such as over-prescription, self-medication, poor adherence to treatment, and lapses in infection prevention. Additional factors contributing to AMR include poor biosecurity on farms, the unregulated use of antibiotics and pesticides in crops, and the consumption of animal products containing antimicrobial residues.
The minister highlighted the severe consequences of AMR, which include treatment failures, prolonged illness, loss of livelihoods, increased production costs, and threats to national economic development. He called on stakeholders in human, veterinary, and environmental health sectors to join the campaign against the misuse of antimicrobials.
Maiha underscored the importance of vaccination, biosecurity, and hygiene in reducing infections and minimizing the reliance on antibiotics. He urged clinicians, veterinarians, and farmers to use antimicrobials responsibly, stressing that they should only be prescribed when necessary, with strict adherence to treatment and withdrawal periods, to prevent a regression to a pre-antibiotic era.