In its efforts to improve surveillance of drug-resistant infections and ensure access to quality medicines, the Federal Government is strengthening measures to curb the misuse of antibiotics and tackle antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, stated this at a joint One Health ministerial media conference ahead of the Fifth Global High-Level Ministerial Conference on Antimicrobial Resistance scheduled to hold in Abuja.
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Professor Pate described AMR as a growing public health threat, warning that common infections, including pneumonia, could become increasingly difficult to treat when medicines lose their effectiveness.
He said addressing the challenge required coordinated action across human health, livestock, agriculture and the environment, noting that inappropriate antibiotic use in animals could contribute to drug resistance in humans.
The minister explained that antimicrobial stewardship was being promoted in federal hospitals, alongside stronger infection prevention and control measures and improved clinical governance.
He identified gaps in laboratory diagnosis and surveillance as major challenges, stressing the need to strengthen the capacity to detect drug-resistant infections and guide appropriate treatment.
Professor Pate also called for tighter regulation of medicines and their distribution to curb counterfeit and substandard products, while ensuring that patients who need antimicrobials can access quality medicines.
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He emphasised the importance of preventive measures, including vaccination, handwashing, hygiene and improved infection-control practices, as well as public awareness campaigns in local languages to discourage antibiotic misuse.
The minister said the Abuja conference must go beyond declarations to deliver practical solutions that can be implemented and monitored.
The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Salako, said the conference would provide an opportunity to assess progress, accelerate high-impact interventions and strengthen global governance on AMR.
Dr Salako cited a 2022 study published in The Lancet, which estimated that bacterial antimicrobial resistance was directly responsible for 1.27 million deaths worldwide in 2019. He said the meeting would advance an Abuja Compact on AMR to translate existing commitments into concrete action.
The Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Dr Aliyu Abdullahi, warned that AMR threatened food security, food safety, agricultural livelihoods and international trade. He called for responsible antimicrobial use, stronger biosecurity measures and improved education for farmers through agricultural extension services.
Similarly, the Minister of Environment, Balarabe Lawal, said AMR could spread through water, soil, waste systems, farms, food and human activities. He stressed the need for stronger coordination, environmental sanitation, public accountability and inclusive participation to ensure that conference commitments produced measurable results.
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The Fifth Global High-Level Ministerial Conference on Antimicrobial Resistance is scheduled to hold in Abuja from December 6 to 8, 2026.
It is expected to bring together governments, scientists, civil society organisations and other stakeholders to advance coordinated action against AMR through the One Health approach.