Ethiopia has launched its fourth National Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), reinforcing its commitment to addressing this urgent global health threat. The plan positions Ethiopia among African nations with concrete strategies to combat AMR, which occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites develop resistance to drugs designed to eliminate them.
The initiative received support from key international partners, including the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), the World Health Organization (WHO), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), the World Bank, and the East, Central and Southern Africa Health Community (ECSA-HC).
Ethiopia’s Minister of Health, Dr Mekdes Daba, emphasized the growing severity of AMR, warning that without decisive action, the global economy could face a USD 1 trillion impact by 2050 due to a projected 70% rise in AMR-related consequences. Speaking during World AMR Awareness Week, she described antimicrobial resistance as a crisis demanding urgent, coordinated action.
Africa CDC Deputy Director General Dr Raji Tajudeen highlighted the immediate threats posed by AMR, calling it “no longer a silent pandemic.” He noted that AMR is already affecting health systems, food safety, economic growth, and environmental stability across Africa. Currently, the continent accounts for over one million AMR-related deaths annually, representing 21% of the global toll, with projections indicating up to 4.1 million deaths per year by 2050 if no action is taken.
Ethiopia’s new action plan establishes the country as a leader in the continent’s fight against AMR. Dr Mekdes highlighted Ethiopia’s achievements, including its membership in the Global Leaders Group on AMR, a 50% increase in AMR awareness among health professionals, and over 54 public awareness campaigns mobilizing communities to address the threat.
Dr Tajudeen also noted Africa’s progress, citing strengthened national coordination committees, improved surveillance and laboratory capacities, and baseline data from the Mapping Antimicrobial Resistance and Antimicrobial Use Partnership (MAAP) study and the AU’s Landmark AMR Report released in 2024.
Despite progress, significant challenges remain, including limited access to quality diagnostics and medicines, underfunded action plans, weak infection prevention and control, insufficient data for policymaking, and fragmented One Health surveillance systems. Dr Tajudeen urged African Member States to prioritize AMR at the highest political levels, including within AU bodies, to ensure sustained action against this growing health threat.
