The Director General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, Dr. Ifedayo Adetifa says Nigeria has made significant progress in building capacity to report Antimicrobial Resistance, AMR, since 2017 when it was reporting at a zero level.
Dr. Adetifa stated this at the 2021 National Antimicrobial Awareness Week: AMR Policy Dialogue in Abuja where he stressed that bad clinical procedures, self-medication and improper disposal of antibiotics are among key factors driving AMR in Nigeria.
Represented by the Dr. Chinwe Ochu, the NCDC boss who also spoke on the theme of the event, “AMR Response and Financing in Nigeria: Challenges and Opportunities”, pointed out that it is important for stakeholders to meet and brainstorm on ways to harness funding to drive advocacy.
Meanwhile, the government of the United Kingdom through its Department for International Development, UKaid, working with the Fleming Foundation is building the capacity of Nigeria to test for AMR by investing 9.4 million pounds for the equipment of laboratories across the country.
Fleming Fund Country lead, Blessing Stephen revealed that 18 laboratories across Nigeria have been fully renovated, with some of them fully equipped and handed over to Chief Medical Directors of the Teaching Hospitals, even as others are currently being equipped ahead of the January 31, 2022 deadline of the memorandum.
