Posted on: Thu 20-02-2025

Following concerns about the increasing threat of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) in public health, experts have called for the implementation of an antimicrobial policy in the country.

They cautioned that misuse and overuse of antibiotics could lead to untreatable infections. AMR occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites develop the ability to resist the drugs designed to kill them.

About 4.95 million deaths yearly are associated with AMR globally, while 1.27 million directly attributed to AMR is expected to double to 10 million deaths a year by 2050.

Speaking at a training workshop on Fleming Fund Country Grant Phase 2, supported by the UK Aid and implemented by Management Sciences for Health (MSH), President, Guild of Medical Laboratory Directors (GMLD) Nigeria, Dr Samuel Fele, said 66.8 per cent of Nigerians used antibiotics in the past six months, out of which 31.3 per cent obtained antibiotics without prescription.

He lamented that AMR is a major global health threat and Nigeria is among the worst-hit countries, with high mortality linked to drug-resistant infections. According to him, there is an increasing resistance to some life-saving antibiotics, which could complicate treatment options.

Fele observed that the key drivers of AMR include misuse of antibiotics, poor surveillance, and lack of regulatory enforcement.

Speaking on ‘Private Sector Engagement in Antimicrobial Resistance: Challenges and Opportunities,’ he said the private medical laboratories play a vital role in combating AMR through accurate diagnostics, antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST), surveillance, data sharing, and collaboration with public health systems.

“Their contributions are essential in ensuring appropriate antibiotic use and reducing the spread of resistant infections. The laboratories have a role in antimicrobial sustainability testing,” he said.

Fele, who was represented by the Laboratory/Research Director, Rotan Medical Diagnostics Ltd, Dr Akujuobi Igwe, noted that private hospitals and specialist clinics play a crucial role in combating AMR through the antimicrobial stewardship programmes (ASPs), infection control measures, education, collaboration, and policy advocacy.

The Senior Lecturer and Head, Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, Dr Mary Alex-Wele, said AMR can result in treatment failure and lead to increased morbidity, mortality and longer hospital stays.

She observed that AMR, if left unchecked could potentially lead to a $100 trillion loss to the global economy due to its impact on both human health and animal, with a projected 3.8 per cent reduction in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and a 3.8 per cent decrease in livestock numbers by 2050.

She stressed the need for stronger policies, increased research funding, and advocacy to address the threats posed by AMR.

Alex-Wele highlighted the necessity of a coordinated response using the ‘One Health’ approach framework to address the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health.

The Director, National Veterinary Research Institute (NVRI), Plateau State, Dr Sati Ngulukun, said that AMR is a silent pandemic and decried the way farmers use antimicrobials on animals.

Ngulukun stated that preventing infectious diseases effectively reduces antimicrobial resistance and emphasised the need to institute strict biosecurity.

He said antibiotics should not be sold over the counter but should be used when prescribed by a certified doctor after laboratory tests.

“In Nigeria, a lot of people engage in self-medication and consume antimicrobials without proper diagnosis or prescriptions. They buy antibiotics over the counter, and if they feel better after a few doses, they stop taking the medication. This misuse helps bacteria become resistant,” he said.

Ngulukun highlighted the common practice of poultry farmers giving antibiotics to chicks from day one to prevent diseases. “Farmers should focus on strict biosecurity measures instead of using antibiotics unnecessarily.

“It is horrifying the way farmers use antimicrobials. Some farmers bring these chicks, and place them on antimicrobials until they get to the market. This is because antimicrobials are sold in the open market, so nobody prescribes, people just walk in and get it,” he said.

He said Nigeria has developed two national action plans on AMR to reduce, prevent and slow the evolution of resistant organisms and their impact on humans, animals and ecosystems, as well as ensuring optimal use and improved access to effective, safe and quality-assured antimicrobials and diagnostics.

According to him, the government has adopted the One Health approach to safeguard the prudent use of antimicrobial drugs and strengthen evidence-based policymaking and action to protect public health.

He listed the challenges of AMR surveillance in the country to include weak enforcement of antimicrobial regulations, limited public awareness of AMR, lack of sufficient AMR surveillance data, inadequate infrastructure – laboratories for ID and AST, inadequately trained personnel, inadequate involvement of the sub-national and insufficient budgetary allocation for AMR.

Ngulukun highlighted the need to embark on research to develop new drugs and alternatives that have less chance of developing resistance. “All the drugs that we currently have are no longer effective. It means we are vulnerable. There has to be deliberate efforts to research to develop new drugs and alternatives,” he added.

SOURCE: GUARDIAN NEWSPAPER

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