Dr. Gabriel Adakole, a public health expert, has called for the urgent adoption of precise and targeted therapies to effectively combat drug-resistant bacteria.
Adakole made the call in an interview on Wednesday in Abuja, as Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) continues to pose a growing global health threat.
He said the situation in Nigeria was particularly severe.
“A recent study analysing bacteria from blood and urinary tract infections in six hospitals across northern Nigeria revealed that approximately 85 per cent of the isolates were resistant to commonly used antibiotics. Alarmingly, 65 per cent showed resistance even to antibiotics of last resort, underscoring the urgency for accurate diagnostics and appropriate treatment strategies,” he said.
Adakole noted that AMR is responsible for 1.27 million deaths annually, with an additional 3.7 million deaths associated with its complications.
He stressed the importance of responsible antimicrobial use to prevent common infections from becoming untreatable.
“The World Health Organisation (WHO) has updated its Bacterial Priority Pathogens List to guide the development of new treatments. It also emphasises the need for a comprehensive public health approach, including universal access to affordable, quality measures for prevention, diagnosis, and treatment,” he said.
He added that scientific innovations offer a glimmer of hope.
“For instance, scientists have discovered a new class of antibiotic, zosurabalpin, which has shown promising efficacy against highly drug-resistant strains in preclinical studies. This breakthrough could pave the way for more effective treatments in the near future,” he said.
Adakole cautioned, however, that without robust diagnostic and surveillance systems, the introduction of new treatments may inadvertently accelerate drug resistance.
“Combining new antibiotic development with strong antimicrobial stewardship and accurate diagnostics is essential to tackle the growing threat of drug-resistant bacteria effectively,” he said.
AMR occurs when microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites evolve to resist the effects of medications that previously worked against them. This renders standard treatments ineffective, allows infections to persist, and increases the risk of transmission.
It affects people in several serious ways: infections that were once easily treatable become more difficult to cure, leading to prolonged illness and recovery times; patients may require more intensive care and extended hospital stays; the treatment of drug-resistant infections often involves more expensive medications and procedures, placing a heavy financial burden on both individuals and health systems.
AMR can make common infections such as urinary tract infections or pneumonia potentially life-threatening—especially for vulnerable groups like children, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems; additionally, routine medical procedures such as surgeries, organ transplants, and cancer chemotherapy become much riskier due to the threat of untreatable infections.
It is a global issue, capable of spreading rapidly within communities and across borders, undermining decades of progress in modern medicine and posing a serious threat to global health security.
