The federal government has postponed the Fifth Global High-Level Ministerial Conference on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), which was scheduled to hold in Abuja from 28 to 30 June.

The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Pate, announced the postponement in a statement on Wednesday, saying the decision followed extensive consultations with key stakeholders and partners involved in preparations for the conference.

He said a new date for the event would be communicated in due course.

“The federal government deeply regrets any inconvenience this postponement may cause and appreciates the understanding, support, and continued cooperation of all stakeholders,” he said.

The conference was expected to bring together ministers, policymakers, researchers, development partners, civil society organisations and private sector representatives from across the world to strengthen global efforts against AMR.

Preparations to continue

Despite the postponement, Mr Pate said preparations for the conference would continue under the supervision of the Local Organising Committee and relevant ministries, departments and agencies of the federal government.

He said engagement with partners and stakeholders would also continue to ensure the successful convening of the conference at a later date.

Mr Pate thanked the Troika, the Global Leaders Group on AMR, the Quadripartite Joint Secretariat on AMR, member states, development partners, international organisations, civil society groups, academia, youth networks and other stakeholders for their support and commitment to the planned event.

He reiterated Nigeria’s commitment to hosting the conference and advancing international collaboration to address the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance through the One Health approach.

“Nigeria looks forward to welcoming delegates to Abuja for the rescheduled conference and to advancing collective global action against AMR,” he said.

Why the conference matters

Nigeria was selected to host the conference, making it the first African country to host the global ministerial gathering on antimicrobial resistance.

The meeting was conceived as a follow-up to the 2024 United Nations High-Level Meeting on AMR and was expected to focus on translating global political commitments into concrete actions and accountability measures.

Scheduled under the theme, “One Health: Advancing Global AMR Commitments through Local Action,” the conference was expected to highlight the interconnectedness of human, animal and environmental health in tackling drug-resistant infections.

Preparations for the event were being jointly coordinated by the Federal Ministries of Health, Environment and Livestock Development.

Growing threat

The postponement comes at a time of increasing concern over the impact of AMR in Nigeria and globally.

AMR occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites evolve and no longer respond to medicines designed to treat them. The phenomenon makes infections harder to treat, increases the risk of disease spread and raises the likelihood of severe illness and death.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) defines antimicrobial resistance as the ability of microorganisms to survive exposure to medicines that would normally kill them or stop their growth, making infections increasingly difficult and costly to treat.

According to the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, antimicrobial resistance contributes to approximately 1.3 million deaths worldwide each year.

Health experts have repeatedly warned that the misuse and overuse of antibiotics and other antimicrobial medicines are accelerating the emergence of drug-resistant infections, threatening decades of progress in modern medicine.

In previous reports, PREMIUM TIMES highlighted growing concerns among experts that antimicrobial resistance is contributing to thousands of deaths annually in Nigeria and placing additional pressure on the country’s healthcare system.

In 2024, Mr Pate said antimicrobial resistance was linked to more than 64,000 deaths in Nigeria, describing it as a major threat to human, animal and environmental health.

Nigeria postpones global ministerial conference on drug resistance

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