Angola recently enhanced its national response to antimicrobial resistance (AMR) through a joint technical mission organized by the Ministry of Health, with specialized support from the World Health Organization (WHO). The mission involved experts from WHO Headquarters, the Regional Office for Africa, and the WHO Office in Angola, aiming to strengthen institutional capacity in AMR surveillance, prevention, and control.
Held from November 18 to 20 during World AMR Awareness Week 2025, the mission assessed Angola’s national progress, identified critical gaps, and supported the development of a strategic plan for a coordinated AMR response. The week’s slogan, “Let’s act now. Together, let’s protect the present. Let’s take care of our future,” emphasized the global call for collective action against AMR.
AMR is recognized as one of the top ten global health threats. Resistant infections caused approximately 1.27 million deaths in 2019 and were linked to nearly 5 million deaths worldwide. The 2025 Global Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance Report indicated that one in six bacterial infections globally—and one in five in the African Region—were resistant to antibiotics in 2023, with a 40% global increase in resistance recorded between 2018 and 2023.
The mission also reviewed Angola’s alignment with international commitments, including the 2024 UN Political Declaration on AMR, which sets 2030 targets such as high-quality data reporting to GLASS, the ability to test all priority bacterial and fungal pathogens in at least 80% of countries, and a 10% global reduction in deaths related to bacterial AMR.
Field visits and a national consultative workshop were conducted with technical support from WHO, FAO, WOAH, and the WHO Collaborating Center “One Health,” and promoted by national bodies including INIS, DNSP, ARMED, and the National Directorate of Hospitals. This multisectoral approach addressed AMR across human health, food, agriculture, animal health, and the environment.
Dr. Franco Martins of DNSP highlighted the importance of creating a multisectoral platform integrating health, agriculture, and environmental sectors to coordinate policies, monitor progress, and mobilize resources for the National Action Plan against AMR. The workshop brought together government agencies, academic institutions, the private health sector, civil society, and international partners to assess the current AMR situation and define strategic priorities for a coordinated response based on robust data.
Key technical priorities identified include integrated AMR and antimicrobial use surveillance, strengthening laboratory capacities, promoting rational use of medicines, implementing infection prevention and control measures, and mobilizing resources within the One Health framework.
Dr. Indrajit Hazarika, WHO Representative in Angola, emphasized that WHO will continue supporting Angola with evidence, capacity building, and technical guidance to develop a resilient system capable of preventing, detecting, and responding effectively to antimicrobial resistance.
