The federal government has pushed back the Fifth Global High-Level Ministerial Conference on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR). The event was set to take place in Abuja from June 28 to 30.
Muhammad Pate, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, shared the news on Wednesday. He said the decision came after talks with important stakeholders and partners who were preparing for the conference.
He mentioned that a new date for the event will be announced soon.
"The federal government deeply regrets any inconvenience this postponement may cause and appreciates the understanding, support, and continued cooperation of all stakeholders," he said.
The conference was meant to gather ministers, policy makers, researchers, development partners, civil society groups, and private sector representatives from around the world. The goal was to strengthen global efforts against AMR.
Even with the delay, Mr Pate confirmed that preparations for the conference will keep going. This will happen under the watch of the Local Organising Committee and relevant government ministries, departments, and agencies.
He added that talks with partners and stakeholders will also continue. This is to ensure the successful hosting of the conference at a later date.
Mr Pate thanked various groups for their support. This includes the Troika, the Global Leaders Group on AMR, the Quadripartite Joint Secretariat on AMR, member states, development partners, international organisations, civil society groups, academia, youth networks, and other stakeholders.
He also stressed Nigeria’s commitment to hosting the conference. He said it is important to work together internationally to tackle the rising threat of antimicrobial resistance using the One Health approach.
"Nigeria looks forward to welcoming delegates to Abuja for the rescheduled conference and to advancing collective global action against AMR," he said.
Nigeria was chosen to host the conference, marking it as the first African country to do so for the global meeting on antimicrobial resistance.
This meeting was intended to follow up on the 2024 United Nations High-Level Meeting on AMR. It was expected to focus on turning global political promises into real actions and accountability.
With the theme, "One Health: Advancing Global AMR Commitments through Local Action," the conference aimed to show how human, animal, and environmental health are connected in fighting drug-resistant infections.
The Federal Ministries of Health, Environment, and Livestock Development were jointly coordinating the preparations for the event.
The postponement comes as concerns are rising over the effects of AMR in Nigeria and around the world.
AMR happens when bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites change and no longer respond to medicines meant to treat them. This makes infections tougher to handle and increases the chances of spreading diseases, severe illness, and even death.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) describes antimicrobial resistance as the ability of microorganisms to survive medicines that would usually kill them or stop their growth. This makes treating infections more difficult and expensive.
The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare reports that antimicrobial resistance causes around 1.3 million deaths globally each year.
Health experts have long warned that misusing and overusing antibiotics and other antimicrobial medicines is speeding up the rise of drug-resistant infections. This threatens years of progress in modern medicine.
Previous reports highlighted that experts are worried antimicrobial resistance leads to thousands of deaths each year in Nigeria. It also adds more pressure on the nation's healthcare system.
In 2024, Mr Pate stated that antimicrobial resistance was linked to over 64,000 deaths in Nigeria. He called it a major threat to human, animal, and environmental health.
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