By Laide Akinboade, Abuja

Nigeria said it has concluded arrangement to host the 5th high level ministerial meeting on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), in Abuja.

This was announced on Wednesday, at the virtual Global Media Briefing organised by Global AMR Media Alliance (GAMA) in Abuja.

The theme for the meeting, “One Health — Advancing Global AMR Commitments through Local Action”, the high level meeting would hold from 28th to 30th June 2026.

According to the Ministerial Global Envoy on AMR, Government of Nigeria, Dr. Ayoade Alakija, delegations from over 100 countries are expected to participate along with Presidents of a few countries, such as, Botswana, Ghana and Nigeria.

Dr. Alakija also disclosed that President of Nigeria, His Excellency, Bola Tinubu, would welcome participants and declare the meeting open.

“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 Alakija.

“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,” she said.

She noted, “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.

Alakija cited 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 Alakija.

She added that Nigeria had been involved with the integrated approach for a while as it was 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. AMR commitments like UNGA Political Declaration 2024 needs to be translated into not just actions but local actions which are critical”, the expert said.

Speaking on the severity of AMR, Quadripartite Joint Secretariat on AMR, Dr. Jean Nyemazi stated: “AMR is a big threat and continue to kill many people, especially in LMICs and the Global South.

“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)”.

Dr. Nyemazi added that 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.
He reiterated the role of the Media, stating that it was a strategic partner to “inform, connect and hold us accountable”.

“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”, he said.

Dr. Nyemazi pointed out that the 1st and 2nd High Level Ministerial Meetings that took place in 2014 and 2019 had mostly ministers from European regions in attendance.

Now, ministers of over 100 countries were 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)”, he said.
Speaking further, Dr. Nyemazi disclosed that 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”, he said.

On her part, Chairperson, Global AMR Media Alliance (GAMA), Shobha Shukla explained that AMR or drug resistance was 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.
Shukla added that as result of drug resistance, medicines become ineffective, and infections become increasingly difficult or impossible to treat:
“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.
“Misuse and overuse of medicines is rampant in animal health and livestock, food and agriculture, human health, as well as polluting our environment”, she said.