The Africa Centre for Disease Control (CDC) has warned that antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is becoming a greater threat to Africa than HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria combined.

Jean Kaseya, the director general of Africa CDC, disclosed this at a press conference on Friday in Abuja, saying children and vulnerable populations were at the highest risk.

Mr Kaseya said combating the growing crisis would require an estimated $2 billion to $6 billion annually, a critical investment to address the silent but deadly impact of AMR on the continent.

Amid the mpox crisis, African health officials are highlighting the urgent threat of AMR.

The recent African Union report shows that AMR caused 255,000 deaths in Africa in 2019, with the continent experiencing the highest AMR burden globally.

Contributing factors include inadequate antibiotics, overuse in humans and animals, and poor AMR surveillance.

Mr Kaseya described AMR as a “silent threat” that disproportionately affects Africa’s most vulnerable populations.

“Despite the gravity of the situation, current funding levels are only a fraction of what is allocated to combat HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria, leaving Africa highly exposed to the dangers of AMR.

“AMR, which occurs when microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites become resistant to antimicrobial drugs, has now overtaken these three major diseases in terms of mortality in Africa,” he said.

He said AMR currently accounted for 27.3 deaths per 100,000 people on the continent, the highest rate in the world.

“The misuse and overuse of antibiotics in healthcare, agriculture, and food systems are major contributors to this resistance. This leads  to harder-to-treat infections and an increase in illness, disability, and death,” he said.

He said drug-resistant infections currently claimed around 700,000 lives annually.

“This figure is projected to rise to 10 million by 2050 if the issue remains unaddressed. Africa alone could account for 4.5 million of these deaths.

“The report underscores the need for global stakeholders to mobilise resources and commit to developing national action plans, particularly in countries that do not yet have such frameworks in place.

“A joint study by Africa CDC and the African Society for Laboratory Medicine revealed that only 1.3 per cent of microbiology labs in 14 African Union member states are equipped to test for key AMR pathogens,” he said.

He highlighted the importance of a multi-sectoral approach, including infection prevention, strengthening of healthcare and food systems, and significant investments in diagnostics and laboratory infrastructure.

Huyam Salih, director of the African Union-Interafrican Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR), also warned that AMR threatens health and agrifood systems, food security, and economies across the continent.

“Without coordinated and sustained efforts, AMR will continue to undermine progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the African Union’s Agenda 2063,” she said.

Ms Salih said the upcoming UN high-level meeting on AMR was expected to serve as a critical platform for global commitments and coordinated action.

Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) occurs when microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites develop resistance to the drugs that once effectively treated infections they cause.

In Nigeria, 64,500 deaths are attributable to AMR, while 263,400 deaths are associated with it.

Experts say AMR in the country is fuelled by the misuse of antibiotics in hospitals, farms, and communities and remains a critical issue.

(NAN)