LAGOS, Nigeria(VOICE OF NAIJA) – A major public health study has raised fresh concerns about the growing threat of drug-resistant infections in Nigeria and other African countries, warning that common illnesses are becoming harder to treat due to weakening antibiotic effectiveness.
The report, released by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) in Abuja, revealed a steady rise in antimicrobial resistance across the continent. The findings are drawn from the Mapping Antimicrobial Resistance and Antimicrobial Use Partnership, described as the largest antimicrobial resistance study ever conducted in Africa.
According to Africa CDC, researchers analysed over 187,000 laboratory test results from 205 laboratories across 14 African countries, including Nigeria, using samples collected between 2016 and 2019. The study found growing resistance in bacteria responsible for serious infections such as E. coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Klebsiella pneumoniae.
“The researchers found increasing resistance in bacteria commonly responsible for serious infections,” the report stated.
It also highlighted alarming resistance to third-generation cephalosporins, a critical class of antibiotics, with particularly high levels recorded in Ghana and Malawi.
Of significant concern to Nigeria, the study showed that resistance to methicillin, a widely used antibiotic, exceeded 70 percent in Staphylococcus aureus samples from Nigeria and Ghana. In six African countries, more than half of all samples tested were resistant.
Beyond laboratory data, the study identified vulnerable groups at higher risk. Africa CDC noted that people aged 65 and above were 28 percent more likely to develop drug-resistant infections, while hospitalized patients faced a 24 percent higher risk. Previous antibiotic use further increased the likelihood of resistance.
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Public health expert Dr Gabriel Adakole, said the findings carry serious implications for Nigeria’s healthcare system, especially hospitals.
“The country has ongoing national efforts to strengthen antimicrobial resistance surveillance through the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) and partner institutions,” he said.
However, Adakole warned that critical gaps remain, pointing to weak routine testing and poor data reporting at primary and secondary health care levels.
“Misuse of antibiotics, including self-medication and over-the-counter access, contributes to rising resistance,” he said.
The report also exposed major system failures across Africa, with Africa CDC disclosing that “Less than two percent of health facilities assessed were able to test for bacterial infections, and only 12 percent of resistance records were linked to patient information.”
Meanwhile, One Health Unit Lead at Africa CDC, Dr Yewande Alimi, said data quality varied widely among countries.
“Many laboratories still rely on handwritten registers and do not have digital systems,” she explained, noting that Senegal showed stronger capacity while Sierra Leone lagged behind.
Calling for urgent action, Alimi stressed the need for continent-wide collaboration.
“For African countries, AMR remains a complex problem, leaving countries with a million-dollar question: ‘Where do we start from?’ We must act now, and together, to address AMR,” she said.
Antimicrobial resistance occurs when bacteria evolve to resist antibiotics, making infections harder to treat and increasing the risk of prolonged illness or death.
With the World Health Organisation ranking AMR among the top global health threats, the report warns that failure to act could reverse hard-won gains in healthcare delivery across Africa.
