Photograph — Sixth Tone

Nigeria, in partnership with the British government, has formally launched a £10.7 million agreement to tackle threats to drug resistance in the country through improving public health surveillance, upgrading laboratory equipment, and training technicians and scientists.

The collaboration was disclosed at a reception with Representatives from Nigeria’s Ministries of Health, Agriculture and Environment hosted by the United Kingdom’s High Commissioner. The collaboration is expected to foster measures in the tackling of the growing threat of drug resistance which is referred to as antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) threatens the effective prevention and treatment of an ever-increasing range of infections caused by bacteria, parasites, viruses, and fungi.

AMR occurs when microorganisms survive exposure to antimicrobial drugs such as antibiotics, antifungals, antivirals, antimalarials, and anthelmintics. As a result, the drugs become ineffective and infections persist in the body after being used, increasing the risk of spread to others.

“Antimicrobial resistance is already killing hundreds of thousands of people across the world each year,” said Catriona Laing CB, the British High Commissioner to Nigeria. Researchers estimate that about 700,000 people globally die each year as a result of drug-resistant infections, while it is believed that if the current trend persists, drug resistance could claim up to 10 million lives a year and cost £85 trillion by 2050.

According to the High Commissioner, the partnership further demonstrates the UK’s commitment to working with Nigeria to help tackle global issues and is in line with the Fleming Fund, a £265 million programme set up to tackle the infection. The Fund targets core issues by improving surveillance of antimicrobial resistance and drug use in humans and animals.

Similarly, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends both AMR-sensitive and AMR-specific solutions in combating the crisis. It says that one of the best opportunities in the short-term to mitigate the threat of AMR is to strengthen investments in health systems to tackle infectious diseases. Other measures include improving public and veterinary health systems while building surveillance for AMR into them as an integral component.

Reports show that declining private investment and lack of innovation in the development of new antibiotics are undermining efforts to combat drug-resistant infections. But the UK collaboration will enable prompt diagnosis of infectious diseases and advance health security in Nigeria, according to Dr, Chikwe Ihekweazu, Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).

“With support from the UK government through the Fleming Fund, we are improving our laboratory capacity, surveillance of AMR and use of data in Nigeria, using a One Health approach,” Ihekweazu said.

By Ahmed Iyanda.

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