Drug-resistant infections are increasingly leading to fatalities, with a significant number of these deaths occurring in Africa.
Insufficient water consumption, the misuse of antimicrobials, inadequate vaccination, and poor sanitation are the primary causes of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR).
Reducing AMR is crucial for addressing the continent’s health challenges in a lasting way.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), AMR refers to the inability of viruses, fungi, bacteria, and parasites to respond to antimicrobial drugs.
This occurs due to the misuse or overuse of these drugs for treatment, control, or prevention in living organisms.
The African Union’s AMR Landmark Report estimates that investments in water, sanitation, hygiene, infection prevention, and biosecurity could save 700,000 lives annually on the continent. However, African countries must act decisively and in a coordinated manner to effectively combat this issue.
The World Bank has been investing in efforts to prevent this situation for more than 10 years. Following the Ebola outbreak in West Africa between 2014 and 2016, the REDISSE Program was established, covering 16 countries in West and Central Africa and serving nearly 500 million people.
Currently, two distinct programs are helping to address health-related challenges in Africa. The $500 million Health Security Program covers Cape Verde, Guinea, and Liberia, while the $1.5 billion Health Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Resilience (HEPRR) Program focuses on Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, São Tomé and Príncipe, and Zambia.
These programs aim to strengthen laboratory partnerships, expand whole genome sequencing and susceptibility testing, enhance AMR surveillance and diagnostic capacity, conduct national-level studies on AMR prevalence with WHO support, improve the quality of AMR data, and build a skilled and qualified health workforce to address AMR challenges effectively.
Ensuring that access to antimicrobial drugs is safe, effective, and affordable across the continent is essential. Without timely and coordinated action to tackle AMR, it could become a significant crisis affecting both current and future generations.