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Africa has the highest mortality rate (27.3 per 100,000) linked to antimicrobial resistance, said Raji Tajudeen, deputy director-general, Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC).
In fact, mortality related to AMR exceeds the combined toll from HIV-AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, he pointed out citing the new African Union Landmark Report by Africa CDC.
Africa account for 95 per cent of malaria deaths, 70 per cent of people living with HIV and 25 per cet of TB deaths and other infectious diseases globally, Raji said.
Children and women are among the most vulnerable groups of the society, according to the report.
Despite the estimated $2-6 billion needed annually for an effective AMR response across Africa, current funding is only a tenth of that allocated to containing other major diseases. This underfunding makes AMR a significant barrier to sustainable development, hindering progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and the African Union’s Agenda 2063.
An estimated 700,000 people die annually from drug-resistant infections globally. Without timely intervention, this number is projected to reach 10 million by 2050, with Africa accounting for 4.5 million.
“Fighting disease requires resources and working with member states and our partners, we need to do all we can to save lives,” said Tajudeen, speaking at the launch of a report on AMR in Africa recently.
The event also initiated discussions on a roadmap and targets to advance Africa’s battle against AMR. The outcomes are expected to inform the upcoming United Nations General Assembly High-Level Meeting in September — a crucial platform for global action on this escalating crisis.
Huyam Salih, the director of the African Union-Inter African Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR), emphasised the critical role that the AU must play in combating AMR. "Antimicrobial resistance is not just a health issue— it is a threat to our agrifood systems, food safety, food security, livelihoods and economies,” she said.
By 2050, global healthcare costs could exceed $1 trillion per year and livestock production could decline by 2.6-7.5 per cent annually due to AMR, according to Salih. “In Africa, the situation is particularly alarming, with 37 countries reporting the prevalence of AMR in animal farms, yet only 16 per cent of African countries are conducting routine AMR surveillance in animals as of 2023,” she said.
Salih also called for urgent action to strengthen leadership, expand surveillance and data systems, promote the responsible use of antimicrobials, improve public and animal health systems, and secure sustainable financing to combat AMR effectively. “Our health, our food and our future depend on the actions we take now,” she stressed.
Tajudeen said that addressing AMR in Africa requires engaging all levels of society in a comprehensive and multi-sectoral approach. “Unless we work together, overcoming antimicrobial resistance will be a difficult and long-drawn process that will cost lives,” he said.
Currently, millions in Africa lack access to essential antibiotics, with a study by Africa CDC and the African Society for Laboratory Medicine revealing that only 1.3 per cent of microbiology labs in 14 member states can test for key AMR pathogens.
Tajudeen underscored the importance of prioritising infection prevention, strengthening health and food systems, developing human resources, ensuring sustainable access to diagnostics and therapeutics and investing in laboratory infrastructure for effective surveillance and data generation.
The report recommended an increase in the availability of high-quality diagnostics, vaccines and antimicrobials for high-priority pathogens in high-risk African countries.
AMR occurs when microorganisms like bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites develop resistance to antimicrobial drugs, a process hastened by human behaviours such as the misuse and overuse of these drugs in healthcare, agriculture and food systems. This renders antibiotics and other antimicrobials less effective, causing treatment failures, increased disease spread, severe illness, disability and higher mortality rates.