ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE LANDSCAPE ANALYSIS IN SELECT AFRICAN COUNTRIES REPORT

In 2017, a joint World Health Organisation (WHO) evaluation under the International Health Regulations (IHR) exposed critical gaps in Africa’s capacity to detect and monitor antimicrobial resistance (AMR), scoring the region just two out of five. By 2019, AMR had become a global crisis, contributing to 4.95 million deaths worldwide—1.27 million of which were directly caused by drug-resistant infections. Alarmingly, one in five of these deaths were children under five. These figures highlight the urgent need to uncover the main drivers of AMR and assess how much stakeholders are investing in efforts to combat and respond to AMR in Africa. This study delivers essential insights into the current state of knowledge, attitudes, practices, awareness, and governance regarding AMR across Africa. It sheds light on the contributions of both state and non-state actors, reviews promising ongoing initiatives, and pinpoints the key factors needed for effective AMR advocacy in the region.