ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE (AMR): AN IMPENDING CRISIS FOR THE NIGERIAN HEALTHCARE

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a complex challenge posing a significant threat to public health globally. Low-and-middle-income regions have been identified to be facing the greatest impacts of AMR due to various factors. The combined number of deaths reported from cases of maternal and neonatal disorders, tuberculosis, neglected tropical diseases, malaria, respiratory tract infections, and cardiovascular diseases in Nigeria remains lower than AMR-related deaths. The absence of laboratories to conduct sensitivity testing, inappropriate antibiotic prescribing, and extensive agricultural use are some of the factors that have contributed greatly to the rise and spread of antibiotic-resistant infections. There has been a coordinated fight to control the prevalence of AMR since 2017 by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control; even so, there is a need to harmonize the efforts of other parastatals to address the root cause of AMR within the country. In this study, we described the various factors and the status of antimicrobial resistance in Nigeria and the recommended strategies to improve the situation alongside the national action plan. It is recommended that the government explores research into the use of biotherapeutics products and phages for alternative treatment, host a national platform where Nigerian healthcare professionals and clinical researchers can recommend real-time approaches used at their facilities to control antimicrobial resistance, encourage the use of drug-eluting materials, the Pharmacy Council should develop and implement a field-level monitoring model and disciplinary measures to stop the sales of medicines to non-licensed medicine vendors in communities as well as street drug hawkers.