Drug-resistant infections rising across Africa, study warns

A new study has reported a rise in drug-resistant infections across several African countries, including Nigeria, raising concern about the ability of health systems to treat common illnesses effectively.

Join the Premium Times WhatsApp Community For Quick Access To News and Happenings Around You.

Open in WhatsApp

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), made the report available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on Saturday in Abuja.

The Africa CDC said that the report was produced under the Mapping Antimicrobial Resistance and Antimicrobial Use Partnership (MAAP), the largest study of antimicrobial resistance carried out in Africa.

It was led by the organisation, the African Society for Laboratory Medicine (ASLM), the One Health Trust, and regional partners.

Stay Ahead with Premium Times

Add as a preferred source on Google

The African health organisation said that the study analysed more than 187,000 laboratory test results from 205 laboratories in 14 African countries, including Nigeria.

It said that the samples were collected between 2016 and 2019.

According to Africa CDC, the researchers found increasing resistance in bacteria commonly responsible for serious infections such as E. coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Klebsiella pneumoniae.

The report showed that resistance to third-generation cephalosporins, a group of powerful antibiotics, was particularly high in Ghana and Malawi.

“In six countries, more than half of Staphylococcus aureus samples were resistant to methicillin, a widely used antibiotic. In Nigeria and Ghana, resistance levels were reported to be above 70 per cent,” it said.

The Africa CDC explained that the study also reported that some groups were more likely to develop drug-resistant infections.

“People aged 65 years and above were 28 per cent more likely to have resistant infections than younger adults, while patients admitted to hospitals had a 24 per cent higher risk.

“The researchers said previous antibiotic use also increased the likelihood of resistance,” it said.
Speaking with NAN, Gabriel Adakole, a Public Health expert noted that the findings have implications for

Nigeria’s health sector, particularly hospitals and treatment facilities.

Mr Adakole said 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, however, said that gaps still exist in routine testing, antibiotic stewardship and data reporting, especially at the primary and secondary healthcare levels.

He also warned that misuse of antibiotics, including self-medication and over-the-counter access, contributes to rising resistance.

He said despite the growing burden, the report identified major gaps in testing capacity and data quality across Africa.

“Less than two per cent of health facilities assessed were able to test for bacterial infections, and only 12 per cent of resistance records were linked to patient information,” he said.

Meanwhile, Yewande Alimi, One Health Unit Lead at Africa CDC, said that the quality of AMR data varied across countries, with Senegal recording stronger systems, while Sierra Leone had weaker data collection capacity.

Ms Alimi said many laboratories still rely on handwritten registers and do not have digital systems.

“The study, supported by the UK Fleming Fund and the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), called for increased investment in laboratory services, routine testing and digital data systems,” she said.

She said the findings show the need for coordinated action on antimicrobial resistance across the continent.

“For African countries, AMR remains a complex problem, leaving countries with a million-dollar question:

“Where do we start from?’ This study brings to light groundbreaking AMR data for African countries. We must act now, and together, to address AMR,” she said.

NAN recalled that Antimicrobial resistance occurs when bacteria change in ways that make antibiotics less effective.

This makes infections harder to treat and increases the risk of complications, prolonged illness and death.

READ ALSO: Resident doctors to resume indefinite strike on 12 January

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has identified antimicrobial resistance as one of the top global public health threats, with low- and middle-income countries facing a higher risk due to limited diagnostic capacity and weak regulatory systems.

In Nigeria and other African countries, antibiotics are sometimes used without prescription, contributing to resistance and treatment failure.

The report warned that without stronger action, drug-resistant infections could undermine progress made in healthcare delivery and disease control.

The MAAP partners said the findings provide a foundation for African governments to improve surveillance, treatment guidelines and public health planning.
(NAN)