Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has become one of the most urgent global health threats of our time—one that disproportionately affects Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) and the most vulnerable populations. Its impact is already visible across every sector: health, healthcare costs, food security, the environment, national economies, and sustainable development. AMR is undermining modern medicine, eroding universal health coverage gains, and threatening health security worldwide. It is evolving rapidly and silently, reversing decades of medical progress and jeopardizing our ability to treat even the most common infections.
Outbreaks of multidrug-resistant infections—especially in settings with weak infection prevention and control (IPC) practices and among vulnerable groups, including children—continue to cause preventable illness and death in both communities and hospitals. These infections endanger entire health systems and contribute to rising child and maternal mortality and other critical health indicators. Despite the growing burden, global awareness, financing, investment, and concrete actions remain far below what is required.
The numbers are staggering. In 2021, AMR was associated with an estimated 4.71 million deaths globally, with 1.14 million directly attributable and another 1.05 million indirectly linked. Sub-Saharan Africa alone accounted for 250,000 direct AMR-related deaths. Globally, an estimated 178 million disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) are lost annually due to AMR, and the economic burden could reach nearly US$1 trillion every year if urgent action is not taken. Projections from 2021 warn that AMR could claim up to 39 million lives by 2050.
In Nigeria, AMR has taken a particularly heavy toll. Since 1990, more than 60,000 lives have been lost each year. In 2021 alone, approximately 50,500 deaths were directly attributed to AMR, while 227,000 deaths were associated with bacterial AMR. Alarmingly, the greatest number occurred among children under five. These figures reinforce the urgent need for coordinated, whole-of-government and whole-of-society action. Integrating AMR priorities within Primary Health Care (PHC) is essential to accelerating national response efforts and advancing universal health coverage, guided by WHO’s people-centred approach and aligned with broader Sector-Wide Approach (SWAp), food security, and climate change initiatives.
From 18 to 24 November, we join national and global partners to commemorate World Antimicrobial Resistance Awareness Week under the theme: Act Now: Protect Our Present, Secure Our Future. This theme reminds us that AMR is not a distant threat—it is a current and escalating danger that requires bold, coordinated, and cross-sectoral action.
As we build on the momentum generated by the 2024 United Nations General Assembly High-Level Meeting on AMR, and as Nigeria prepares to host the 5th Global High-Level Ministerial AMR Conference in Abuja in June 2026, I call on all stakeholders—governments, civil society, healthcare professionals, veterinarians, farmers, environmental actors, and the public—to translate political commitments into concrete, measurable, and life-saving interventions.
We must urgently prioritize long-term investment and strategic action across the human, animal, and environmental health sectors. This includes strengthening AMR and One Health surveillance systems, conducting a robust national AMR survey, ensuring equitable access to quality medicines and diagnostics, fostering innovation, and building resilient health systems supported by sustainable domestic financing.
Investing in AMR action is a smart and essential step toward a safer future. Whether it is a hospital administrator establishing an antimicrobial stewardship team, a farmer implementing responsible waste management practices, or a policymaker strengthening regulatory frameworks—every action counts. Regardless of your role—shaping policies, delivering care, protecting ecosystems, or raising awareness—Act Now: Protect Our Present, Secure Our Future is a collective responsibility.
Together, we can preserve the effectiveness of life-saving antimicrobials and build a healthier, more resilient, and more sustainable Nigeria for generations to come.
