By Blessing Otobong-Gabriel
Nigeria is set to host a landmark global ministerial meeting aimed at strengthening coordinated, multisectoral efforts to combat antimicrobial resistance (AMR), marking the first time such a high-level gathering on drug resistance will be held on African soil.
The aim of the global ministerial Meeting is to strengthen multisectoral efforts for preventing AMR and stopping misuse and overuse of medicines
This year’s highest level global ministerial meeting on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is to be held on the African soil for the first time in history, with Nigerian government to host it.
Dr Ayoade Alakija, Ministerial Global Envoy on AMR, said government of Nigeria through the President, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, would host the welcome before this meet opens in Abuja.
According to Alakija, the 5th High Level Ministerial Meeting on AMR would be held on the theme: “One Health – Advancing Global AMR Commitments through Local Action” during 28th to 30th June 2026, in which high level delegations from over 100 countries are expected to participate along with Presidents of a few countries, such as, Botswana, Ghana and Nigeria.
Multisectoral AMR response warrants engaging several ministries, and not just MOH
“The 5th High Level Ministerial Meeting on AMR would be different because not just ministers of health but also ministers of agriculture, environment and finance are being invited to take part to address AMR in all sectors (such as, animal health and livestock, food and agriculture and our environment) – and not just human health,” said Dr Ayoade Alakija, Ministerial Global Envoy on AMR, Government of Nigeria.
“AMR is not just about human health and protecting just our medicines but also about prevention and protecting our animals, plants and our environment. We need to ensure that not only humans are not harmed due to AMR but also our animals, agriculture and food systems and our environment are kept safe so that we all can live in harmony together,” said Dr Alakija.
He said, If we invest US$ 1 on AMR, return on investment is US$ 11 – 11 times, “This upcoming 5th High Level Meeting in Nigeria would focus more on solutions to address the challenge AMR is posing. We also need to ensure AMR response is fully financed including prevention, surveillance, water, sanitation and hygiene. It is strategic investments that our countries and our communities need.”
“If we do not have money to fully fund our AMR multisectoral action plans, then how are we going to get the work done? So, we have to involve those who are involved with finances. Media is critical for accountability but also critical for awareness, and keeping the communities we serve involved,” she added.
Dr Alakija referred to Abuja Declaration 2001 where African countries committed to invest 15% of their annual budgets on health. She hopes that the upcoming meeting will also play a historic role in sustainable financing for AMR response.
“Earlier in April 2026, I was at the One Health Summit in Lyons, France, hosted by President of France Mr Emmanuel Macron, where many of the people at the highest level, who were present there, have confirmed their attendance (for upcoming meet in Nigeria),” said Dr Alakija.
“Nigeria has been involved with the integrated approach for a while as it is important for all sectors to speak to one another and work in concert with one another. AMR has typically been seen often from the lens of high-income countries. We need to address AMR recognising the gaps in all countries and contexts especially low- and middle-income countries – and ways to bridge the gaps in prevention of infectious diseases as well as gaps in stopping misuse and overuse of medicines in food and agriculture sector, animal health sector and environment along with human health sector,” said Dr Alakija.
“AMR commitments like UNGA Political Declaration 2024 needs to be translated into not just actions but local actions which are critical.”
“The 5th High Level Ministerial Meeting on AMR itself is just a moment in time. The larger objective is to advance and to sustain global efforts to curb AMR in Nigeria, Africa and globally,” said Dr Alakija.
Also, Dr Jean Pierre Nyemazi, Director of Quadripartite Joint Secretariat on AMR said, “AMR is a big threat and continue to kill many people, especially in LMICs and the Global South, adding thst AMR is among top 10 global health threats and threatens our animals, food systems, economies and our environment.
All Quadripartite agencies are supporting the upcoming high level ministerial meeting on AMR in Nigeria including the World Health Organization (WHO), Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), United Nations Environment Programme, and World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH).
In another development, Dr Jean Pierre Nyemazi and Dr Alakija addressing an exclusive Global Media Briefing organised by Global AMR Media Alliance (GAMA) ahead of 5th High Level Ministerial Meeting on AMR said AMR or drug resistance is a problem driven by misuse and overuse of antimicrobial medicines – including antibiotics, antivirals, antiparasitics and antifungals and results in critical medicines losing effectiveness to treat infections.
“As a result of drug resistance, medicines become ineffective, and infections become increasingly difficult or impossible to treat. Misuse and overuse of medicines is rampant in animal health and livestock, food and agriculture, human health, as well as polluting our environment, said Shobha Shukla, Chairperson, Global AMR Media Alliance (GAMA)”.
Nyemazi hinted that the upcoming global AMR Ministerial Meet to accelerate implementation of multisectoral national action plans
“5th High Level Ministerial Meeting on AMR is a key moment to carry forward the momentum from UN General Assembly High Level Meeting on AMR 2024 as well as to translate the political commitments made there into country-level delivery,” Nyemazi said.
The meeting will also builds upon the Jeddah commitments made at the 4th High Level Ministerial Meeting on AMR hosted by Saudi Arabia in 2024.”
“In Jeddah, we agreed on Troika mechanism to keep continuity from one meeting to another. So, past discussions held at 4th High Level Ministerial Meeting on AMR in Jeddah in 2024 are informing the organising of 5th Meeting in Nigeria in 2026,” said Dr Nyemazi.
“The task for this upcoming 5th High Level Ministerial Meeting on AMR in Nigeria would be to enabling the acceleration of implementation of multi-sectoral national action plans on AMR, enabled by effective governance at all levels, sustainable investment at all levels, and walk the talk on the theme of One Health for advancing global AMR commitments through local actions. Media is a strategic partner to inform, connect and hold us accountable,” she explained.
“Evidence-based reporting ensures that AMR is visible as a development, equity and sustainability issue, it shapes the public understanding, support, behaviour change, and sustains pressure for measurable progress.”
Dr Nyemazi said that if we review the 1st and 2nd High Level Ministerial Meetings that took place in 2014 and 2019, mostly ministers from European regions attended them, saying now, ministers of over 100 countries are expected to take part in the upcoming meeting in Nigeria – and majority comes from the Global South.
“We see the focus changing from health to One Health which means we are having more representation from ministries of animal health, food and agriculture, and environment along with human health. When we talk about AMR prevention, we are talking about preventing AMR across all the sectors (and not just in human health),” said Dr Nyemazi.
Reducing AMR deaths by 10% by 2030
“One of the targets of Political Declaration adopted at UN General Assembly High Level Meeting 2024 was to reduce AMR deaths by 10% by 2030 (compared to 4.9 million AMR associated deaths recorded in 2019). Simple strategies that are cost-effective and impact public health such as washing hands can help. We also need to ensure equitable access to essential antimicrobials. These are few steps governments can do now,” said Dr Nyemazi.
We need equitable AMR response
Speaking, Shobha Shukla, Chairperson of Global AMR Media Alliance (GAMA) said all of us are at risk of AMR. But in absence of strong public systems, those in low and middle-income countries and especially those who are underserved are at a much heightened risk of AMR. “We have to do better in protecting the medicines that save us. We also have to do better in saving lives from preventable infections as well as ensuring right and timely diagnosis and right treatment, care and support for everyone, leaving no one behind,” she said .
