Stakeholders Recommend Advocacy, Collective Action To Combat AMR

Stakeholders in the healthcare sector have said that continued education, advocacy and collective action will help combat the challenge of Anti Microbial Resistance (AMR).

The stakeholders made the recommendation at a workshop for journalists, marking the year 2024 World AMR Awareness Week, organised by a Media EIS fellow , Mr Paschal Chukwuemeka, with support from the Breakthrough ACTION-Nigeria, in Owerri.

The year’s theme is : “Educate. Advocate. Act now”.

Speaking, Chukwuemeka said AMR threatens the very foundations of modern medicine, compromising human ability to treat even the simplest infections.

He decried the negative effects of AMR on food security, economic stability, and the well-being of humans, animals, and the environment and called on journalists to amplify the urgency, mobilise public awareness, and inspire policy change through their reportage.

In a keynote address, Ms Rachael Abujah, an AMR ambassador, described AMR as a “ silent yet deadly crisis threatening the health, livelihood, and future of Nigerians”.

She said that according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), AMR occurs when microorganisms like bacteria, viruses, and fungi evolve to resist the drugs designed to kill them.

“ The medicines we rely on to treat infections are losing their effectiveness because globally, AMR is responsible for 1.27 million deaths annually.

“ In Nigeria, the burden is alarming, with drug-resistant malaria, tuberculosis, and bacterial infections increasing, often leaving healthcare providers powerless “, she said.

She, therefore, called on journalists to raise awareness, uncover stories, and hold leaders accountable through human stories and data-driven features that expose policy gaps.

Also speaking, Dr Ridwan Yahaya, the Antimicrobial Stewardship Manager of the NCDC urged journalists to pursue their advocacy role as part of NCDC’s action plan for AMR.

Yahaya said that with about 200,000 newborns dying each year from complications of AMR, journalists could leverage the youths, policymakers, patients and survivors to accelerate action in the fight against AMR.

Also, Dr. Olayinka Umar Farouk, Deputy Project Director, Risk Communication

at Breakthrough ACTION-Nigeria, who spoke on effective reporting strategies for AMR awareness and social behavioural change, urged journalists to remain agents for change by championing and advocating AMR awareness.

A highlight of the workshop was the presentation of awards to deserving AMR ambassadors and the workshop’s panelists.