Nigeria's Health Minister Pate Addresses Antimicrobial Resistance

Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, characterized Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) as a hidden pandemic responsible for thousands of preventable deaths in Nigeria and over a million globally. He made this statement during a webinar on Tuesday.

Nigeria will host the 5th Global High-Level Ministerial Conference on AMR from December 6 to 8, 2026, in Abuja, marking the first time the conference will be held in Africa. The theme for the conference is “One Health: Advancing Global AMR Commitments to Local Action.” Pate explained that AMR arises when infections like pneumonia and typhoid do not respond to treatment due to improper use of antimicrobials.

He noted that the livestock sector uses more antibiotics than the human health sector, necessitating a multi-sectoral approach. The Federal Ministry of Health has implemented an antimicrobial stewardship program and is collaborating with various councils to ensure the availability of genuine drugs.

Dr. Iziaq Salako highlighted that AMR caused approximately 64,500 deaths in Nigeria in 2019, with a potential for over 39 million deaths globally by 2050 without intervention.