Nigeria Launches National Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Policy For Environment Sector

The Federal Government has intensified the fight against antimicrobial resistance, which is estimated to lead to a global US$ 1 trillion in additional healthcare costs by 2050 and US$ 1 trillion to US$ 3.4 trillion GDP losses per year by 2030, with the launch of the National Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Policy for the Environment Sector on Thursday.

Speaking at the launch in Abuja, Dr Iziaq Salako, Minister of State for Environment, stated that much work remains to be done for the environment sector to catch up and compete with other One Health sectors in terms of AMR management. He stated, “This national antimicrobial resistance policy for the environment sector has been developed in this context by the ministry’s mandate.”

The Minister stated: “You will agree with me that antibiotics play an important role in reducing the global burden of communicable disease. However, resistance to previously potent antibiotics has emerged as a major public health issue, necessitating a variety of interventions and a multidisciplinary approach. This growing trend of antibiotic resistance necessitates global action to monitor and control unnecessary antibiotic use in humans and animals, which eventually makes its way into the environment.

Salako went on to say, “Antimicrobial resistance is not only a public health threat; it also has significant implications for global economic well-being and security, affecting both developed and developing countries.” The World Health Organisation has identified AMR as one of the top ten global health threats. According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), AMR is a global crisis that cannot be understood or addressed independently of the triple planetary crisis.

He stated that the 2022 Global Antimicrobial Resistance and Use Surveillance System (GLASS) report highlights alarming resistance rates among bacterial pathogens, which cause the most lethal infections, with other pathogens such as viruses, fungi, and protozoa also becoming resistant. This report shows that the AMR threat is increasing at an alarming rate, making treatment difficult due to longer hospital stays, increased mortality, and higher healthcare costs. According to the World Bank, AMR could result in $1 trillion in additional healthcare costs by 2050, as well as $1 trillion to $3.4 trillion in annual GDP losses by 2030.

The Minister stated, “Nigeria, as a responsible member of the global community, is committed to taking a holistic approach to addressing AMR to ensure all sectors are involved, there is no duplication, and scarce resources are used efficiently.” To achieve this and protect public health, food security, and the environment, it is critical to recognise the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health by the One Health principles.”

Salako stated: “In this regard, the Federal Ministry of Environment has embarked on several activities aimed at laying a solid foundation for AMR surveillance in our country’s environmental sector. This includes: AMR situation analysis in the environment sector conducted in 2020, including laboratory and capacity needs assessment of environmental reference laboratories domiciled with NESREA, to pave the way for the establishment of AMR surveillance in the environment sector, as well as recommendations for strengthening AMR surveillance capacities within the sector.

“The Integrated National Environmental Health Surveillance System (INEHSS) will be established in 2022 to collect and process real-time environmental health and sanitation scientific data for informed policy decisions, planning, monitoring, evaluation, early warning signals, and response to environmental health challenges such as disease outbreaks. Given the unsound release of antimicrobial residues into our environment, the INEHSS provides a foundation for AMR surveillance.

He revealed that, in collaboration with other stakeholders, the Federal Ministry of Environment intends to create an AMR surveillance system in the environment sector by integrating AMR into INEHSS, which is an existing surveillance system in the environment sector, to provide timely alerts on AMR spread; regulate the discharge and distribution of antimicrobials into the environment; promote public knowledge and awareness on AMR and the implications of indiscriminate An
A roadmap for monitoring AMR in the environment, standards for antimicrobial residue, Antimicrobial Resistance Genes (ARG), and Antimicrobial Resistant Bacteria (ARB) discharge into the environment

He stated that this includes a database of all allied industries, institutes, healthcare facilities, and farms in Nigeria, as well as the strengthening of Environmental Health Officers’ capacity to monitor the activities of culpable facilities.

Mr. Koffy Kouacou Dominique, the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) Representative Ad-Interim in Nigeria and ECOWAS, stated that the antimicrobial resistance scourge affects humans, animals, plants, and the environment. It is estimated that 10 million people will die each year by 2050, and national economies will suffer if this challenge is not addressed.

He emphasised that “It is therefore important for countries to put in place actions that will reduce and control this scourge.”

Dominique went on to say that antimicrobial resistance, which is a One Health issue, must be addressed by all sectors. As a result, in 2022, the FAO assisted the Federal Ministry of Environment in developing the National AMR Policy and the National Strategic Plan (2023-2027). This support was also intended to help the environment sector improve its capacity and capabilities to actively participate in the development and implementation of multi-sectoral and inter-disciplinary AMR control plans at the national and sub-national levels.”