Ethiopia launches fourth National Action Plan to combat antimicrobial resistance

ETHIOPIA— Ethiopia has launched its fourth National Action Plan to combat antimicrobial resistance (AMR), reaffirming its commitment to addressing this urgent global health challenge.

This development places Ethiopia among a growing number of African nations implementing clear strategies to tackle AMR, a phenomenon where bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites evolve to resist treatments designed to eliminate them.

This initiative received support from multiple prestigious organizations, including the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), the World Health Organization (WHO), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), the World Bank, and the East, Central and Southern Africa Health Community (ECSA-HC).

Their collaboration demonstrates a strong multinational effort to curb the rising threat of drug-resistant infections.

Speaking at the launch event held during World AMR Awareness Week, Ethiopia’s Minister of Health, Dr. Mekdes Daba, highlighted the growing global threat posed by AMR.

She warned that if decisive steps are not taken, the world could face a 70% surge in AMR impacts by 2050, potentially costing the global economy an estimated USD 1 trillion.

Dr. Daba described antimicrobial resistance as a crisis that requires urgent, coordinated measures to prevent widespread health system failures and economic consequences.

Supporting this urgency, Dr. Raji Tajudeen, Deputy Director General of Africa CDC, emphasized that antimicrobial resistance is no longer a silent pandemic.

He pointed out that AMR ranks among the top ten public health threats worldwide, already undermining health systems, food safety, economic growth, and environmental stability across the African continent.

 According to Dr. Tajudeen, this issue is not a distant future problem, but an immediate reality affecting millions.

Africa experiences over one million deaths annually linked to AMR, accounting for about 21% of global mortality from resistant infections.

Without effective intervention, projections estimate that by 2050, the number of AMR-related deaths in Africa could increase dramatically to 4.1 million each year.

Such a surge would push millions into extreme poverty and undo years of progress in infectious disease control.

Ethiopia’s updated action plan reinforces its leadership role in the continent’s fight against AMR.

Dr. Mekdes highlighted Ethiopia’s accomplishments, such as its active participation in the Global Leaders Group on AMR and a 50% increase in AMR awareness among health professionals.

The country has also conducted more than 54 public campaigns to educate communities about this serious threat.

Africa has made advances in national coordination through strengthened committees and improved surveillance and laboratory capabilities.

The Mapping Antimicrobial Resistance and Antimicrobial Use Partnership (MAAP) study provides crucial baseline data, supported by the African Union’s Landmark AMR Report released in 2024.

However, significant challenges persist, including limited access to quality diagnostics and medicines, underfunded action plans, weak infection prevention measures, insufficient data to inform policies, and fragmented One Health surveillance systems.

Dr. Tajudeen urged African Union member states to prioritize AMR on political agendas at the highest levels, ensuring sustained commitment and resource allocation.

This call emphasizes the need for ongoing collaboration to effectively manage and reduce the impact of antimicrobial resistance across the continent.