Concerns are mounting over the rise of drug-resistant infections in Nigeria, as health researchers warn that some powerful antibiotics used in hospitals are becoming less effective.
The warning came from scientists at the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR), Yaba, who say recent surveillance data from Lagos State show high levels of resistance to third-generation cephalosporins, antibiotics usually reserved for severe or complicated infections.
These drugs are considered “last-resort” options when earlier treatments fail.
Speaking during the institute’s February Media Chat in Lagos, Senior Researcher, Dr. Emelda Chukwu said the team conducted monitoring across four sentinel healthcare facilities to track resistance patterns among hospitalized patients. She described the findings as alarming, noting that even reserve antibiotics are increasingly losing effectiveness.
Chukwu attributed the trend largely to the misuse and overuse of antibiotics, warning that improper use can accelerate the spread of resistant infections within communities. She stressed that resistance can spread from person to person, making treatment more difficult even for those who use medicines correctly.
She cautioned that without coordinated intervention, common infections could become harder, and in some cases impossible, to treat, undermining decades of progress in modern medicine and global health goals.
Antimicrobial resistance as a situation in which bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites no longer respond to medicines, increasing the risk of severe illness and death.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that AMR is one of the leading global public health threats, with significant human and economic consequences if urgent action is not taken.
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