WHO Warns Antimicrobial Resistance Threatens Global Medical Progress
Dar es Salaam. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned that antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is steadily weakening the effectiveness of essential medicines, threatening decades of medical progress and straining health systems already struggling to treat routine infections.
WHO Regional Director for Africa, Prof Mohamed Janabi, said signs of the growing threat are evident across the continent, from village clinics to referral hospitals, where patients increasingly battle infections that no longer respond to treatment, resulting in prolonged hospital stays and rising costs for households and governments.
Prof Janabi delivered the warning during the commemoration of World Antimicrobial Resistance Awareness Week (WAAW), held from 2 to 6 December 2025 under the theme "Act now, protect our present, secure our future."
According to WHO estimates, antimicrobial-resistant infections caused about 1.14 million deaths globally in 2021, surpassing fatalities from HIV and malaria. Sub-Saharan Africa remains the most affected region.
"If left unchecked, antimicrobial resistance could push millions into poverty, undermine food systems and reverse decades of progress. Yet this is a fight we can win if we act with leadership, collaboration and accountability," Prof Janabi said.
WHO cites limited diagnostic capacity, weak infection-prevention systems, inappropriate use of medicines in humans and animals, and inadequate water, sanitation and hygiene as major drivers of resistance.
Prof Janabi called on African governments to scale up domestic investment in AMR action plans and laboratory systems, saying increased local financing is essential for sustainability and national ownership.
He urged governments to integrate AMR control into primary health care, infection-prevention programmes and universal health coverage strategies, noting that embedding AMR responses in routine services will improve preparedness.
Prof Janabi also highlighted the need to empower frontline health workers—particularly pharmacists and veterinarians—with better training and tools to promote responsible antimicrobial use. Stronger regulation of antimicrobial manufacturing and waste disposal, he said, is vital to prevent environmental contamination.
He further underscored the importance of community engagement to discourage self-medication and ensure adherence to prescribed treatments. Governments, he said, should also work closely with farmers and industry stakeholders to curb misuse of antimicrobials in livestock and crop production.
