NAFDAC Marks 2025 World Antimicrobial Awareness Week, Calls for Urgent Action to Curb Resistance
NAFDAC joined the global community to commemorate the 2025 World Antimicrobial Awareness Week (WAAW) with the theme “Act Now: Protect Our Present, Secure Our Future.” The Agency emphasised the urgent need for coordinated action to address Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), one of the most critical public health threats of this generation.
Speaking at the event, the Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, represented by Dr. Gbenga Fajemirokun, highlighted that AMR is not only a medical challenge but a One Health issue affecting humans, animals, and the environment. She warned that the misuse and overuse of antimicrobials in hospitals, veterinary practices, agriculture, and food production continue to accelerate the spread of resistant pathogens. “Resistance anywhere is a threat everywhere,” she noted, stressing the need for immediate and sustained action.
Prof. Adeyeye outlined NAFDAC’s AMR containment strategy, built on a multi-sectoral One Health framework. The key priorities include strengthening regulation and surveillance of veterinary and human antimicrobials; promoting rational use of antimicrobials in animal care; partnering with farmers, veterinarians, and the livestock industry to improve biosecurity and reduce non-therapeutic antibiotic use; and sustaining nationwide enlightenment campaigns to promote responsible antimicrobial use across all sectors.
The Director-General also issued a strong call to action: urging healthcare professionals and veterinarians to prescribe responsibly, farmers to adopt good husbandry and vaccination practices, pharmacists to dispense only with valid prescriptions, and the public to avoid self-medication. She also encouraged the media to continue amplifying AMR awareness nationwide.
Prof. Adeyeye expressed appreciation to national and international partners, including the Fleming Fund and the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration, for their continued support in strengthening AMR surveillance and capacity-building efforts. She reaffirmed NAFDAC’s commitment to leadership, collaboration, and innovation in safeguarding Nigeria’s health security.
NAFDAC calls on all stakeholders to join in combating AMR. By acting now, Nigeria can protect its present and secure a safer, healthier future for generations to come.
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