The World Health Organisation (WHO) has issued a stark warning about the escalating threat of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), a multidimensional health threat that is rapidly evolving and reversing decades of medical progress.
According to the WHO Representative and Head of Mission to Nigeria, Dr. Pavel Ursu, AMR is a present danger that is already disproportionately targeting lower- and middle-income countries and the world’s most vulnerable populations.
Globally, AMR is killing at staggering rates, with 4.71 million deaths associated with it in 2021 alone, and 1.14 million directly attributed to drug-resistant infections. Sub-Saharan Africa, where health systems are often overstretched, recorded 250,000 direct AMR deaths that year. Dr. Ursu emphasized that AMR is eroding gains in child and maternal health, threatening progress toward universal health coverage and risking the collapse of essential modern medical procedures.
Nigeria is one of the most affected countries, with over 60,000 lives lost annually to AMR since 1990. In 2021 alone, 50,500 deaths were directly attributed to drug-resistant infections, while 227,000 more were associated with AMR. The highest burden fell on children under five. “These alarming estimates underscore the urgency for collective action,” Dr. Ursu stressed.
The WHO is calling for urgent, coordinated action to prevent millions of avoidable deaths and a looming global economic catastrophe. The organization has emphasized the need for Nigeria to accelerate its AMR response by integrating prevention and control measures into primary health care, guided by WHO’s people-centered approach.
The global theme for this year’s World Antimicrobial Resistance Awareness Week is a direct call to action, underscoring the urgent need for bold, coordinated, cross-sectoral action. Dr. Ursu urged governments, civil society, healthcare workers, veterinarians, farmers, environmental agencies, and communities to translate political commitments into tangible, accountable, life-saving interventions.
Nigeria is set to host the 5th Global High-Level Ministerial Conference on AMR in Abuja in June 2026, placing the country at the center of global AMR action. The WHO has identified key priority areas that require urgent strengthening, including AMR and One Health surveillance systems, national AMR surveys, and laboratory capacity, among others.
