… as AMR links to 64,500 deaths, threatens food security

Nigeria will host the global conference on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR)for the first time on African soil with the event expected to provide opportunities to strengthen international cooperation and accelerate action against a growing threat to public health, food security and environmental sustainability.

The conference scheduled to hold from December 6 to 8, 2026 in Abuja, will be the first time the global gathering is hosted on African soil.

The minister of state for health and social welfare, Iziaq Adekunle Salako, who presented a joint ministerial position on behalf of four federal ministries ( agriculture and food security, livestock development, and health and social Welfare, on Monday in Abuja warned that AMR remains one of the gravest threats to public health, food security, agricultural productivity and environmental sustainability.

Citing the 2022 Lancet-GRAM study, the minister said bacterial antimicrobial resistance was directly responsible for an estimated 1.27 million deaths globally in 2019, including 64,500 in Nigeria.

He warned that without urgent and coordinated interventions, more than 39 million deaths could be directly attributable to AMR worldwide between 2025 and 2050.

Salako said the international community had made significant commitments through the 2024 United Nations General Assembly Political Declaration on AMR, the Muscat Ministerial Manifesto and the Jeddah Commitments, but stressed that the priority must now shift from declarations to implementation.

The December conference, themed “One Health: Advancing Global AMR Commitment Through Local Action,” is expected to review progress on existing global commitments, accelerate high-impact interventions and strengthen AMR governance.

A major outcome anticipated from the meeting is the adoption of the Abuja Compact on Antimicrobial Resistance, which is being developed through consultations with member states and relevant stakeholders to establish a framework for translating political commitments into measurable results.

As part of preparations for the conference, the four ministries outlined four commitments aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s response to AMR.

These include establishing a joint One Health coordination mechanism that will remain operational beyond the conference; implementing sector-specific interventions covering responsible antimicrobial use in healthcare facilities, farms and animal production, alongside safe waste and water management; ensuring an inclusive conference that accommodates governments, scientists, civil society, young people, the private sector and communities.

Salako said, “Science and research has established that antimicrobial resistance is one of the greatest threats of our time. When antibiotics and other antimicrobials stop working, routine infection becomes dangerous, surgery and childbirth carry greater risk, and the cost to care rises for every family.

According to the Lancet-Graham study of 2022, in 2019 alone, bacterial antimicrobial resistance was directly responsible for an estimated 1.27 million deaths worldwide. In Nigeria, in 2019, an estimated 64,500 deaths were attributable to AMR. Without action, therefore, more than 39 million deaths could be directly attributable to AMR between 2025 and 2050.”

Earlier, the minister of state for agriculture and food security Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi , who hosted the briefing, described the meeting as a decision-making session that must produce clear outcomes ahead of the December conference.

Highlighting the agricultural implications of AMR, the minister warned that the inappropriate or excessive use of antimicrobials could accelerate resistance, undermine disease control, reduce agricultural productivity, compromise food safety, disrupt trade and threaten farmers’ livelihoods.

He said tackling the problem was essential to protecting food systems and strengthening national resilience, adding that the response must cover human, animal, plant and environmental health.

The minister said Nigeria’s hosting of the conference presented a significant opportunity to demonstrate African leadership by showcasing practical interventions, strengthening partnerships and advancing commitments capable of delivering tangible results.

Abdullahi said, “Antimicrobial resistance poses a significant threat to public health, food security, crop and livestock productivity and environmental sustainability. Addressing this challenge requires coordinated action across human, animal, plant and environmental health sectors.

Addressing AMR is therefore essential to safeguarding our food systems and strengthening national resilience. Resistance can emerge and spread across people, animals, food systems and the environment. No single ministry or sector can adequately address this challenge in isolation.”