Government Declares War on Drug Resistance with Unified 'One Health' Strategy

The federal government of Nigeria has adopted a comprehensive multi-sectoral strategy to combat antimicrobial resistance (AMR), a critical global health challenge. This approach, spearheaded by the coordinating minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, acknowledges the intrinsic link between human, animal, and environmental health, often referred to as the "One Health" concept. Pate described AMR as a "hidden pandemic" during a press conference in Abuja, highlighting its severe consequences, including prolonged illness, complications, and death from infections that become increasingly difficult to treat due to failed antimicrobials. In 2019, AMR was directly responsible for an estimated 64,500 deaths in Nigeria and 1.27 million deaths globally, according to figures from the Global Research on Antimicrobial Resistance study.

Prof. Pate emphasized that the livestock sector's antibiotic usage often surpasses that of human health, making responsible antimicrobial use across both domains crucial for mitigating the development and spread of resistance. In response, the government is actively bolstering antimicrobial stewardship programs in federal hospitals, enhancing infection prevention and control measures, strengthening laboratory capacities, and improving regulatory frameworks to promote appropriate antimicrobial use and optimize infection treatment outcomes. The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare has successfully operated an antimicrobial stewardship program for federal hospitals and other facilities over the past two and a half years. Furthermore, regulatory agencies play a vital role in ensuring the authenticity of medicines and curbing the indiscriminate sale of antimicrobials. Despite these efforts, Pate conceded that there are existing gaps in Nigeria's AMR surveillance, necessitating stronger systems to accurately assess the problem's scale and guide effective interventions.

The threat of AMR extends beyond human health, impacting agriculture and food security. Dr. Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, explained that inappropriate antimicrobial use can undermine disease control in animals, compromise food safety, disrupt trade, and jeopardize livelihoods. To address this, the government's agricultural strategy includes promoting responsible antimicrobial practices, reinforcing food safety systems, expanding agricultural extension services, and educating farmers on sound agricultural practices and biosecurity. The Minister of Environment further underscored the pervasive nature of AMR, noting its potential spread across people, animals, farms, food systems, water, soil, and waste. This widespread impact makes coordinated action across all sectors absolutely imperative.

To foster this coordinated effort, the four key ministries responsible for health, agriculture and food security, livestock development, and the environment have committed to establishing a joint coordination mechanism. This mechanism will facilitate the implementation of sector-specific interventions and ensure transparent public reporting of progress. In a significant international development, Nigeria is preparing to host the fifth Global High-Level Ministerial Conference on AMR in Abuja from December 6 to 8, 2026. This landmark conference, themed "One Health: Advancing Global AMR Commitments to Local Action," will be the first of its kind held on African soil, bringing together governments and stakeholders worldwide to accelerate interventions and fortify global coordination against antimicrobial resistance. A key anticipated outcome of this conference is the "Abuja Compact on Antimicrobial Resistance," currently being developed through extensive consultations, which aims to translate global commitments into tangible, measurable local actions.