Johannesburg: Results from a newly published study highlight the growing spread of drug resistance across 14 African countries, underscoring the urgent need to strengthen laboratory testing, data systems, and health planning to tackle hard-to-treat infections.
According to African Press Organization, the study, known as the Mapping Antimicrobial Resistance and Antimicrobial Use Partnership (MAAP), is the largest of its kind ever conducted in Africa. It was led by a coalition including the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), the African Society for Laboratory Medicine (ASLM), One Health Trust, and other regional partners.
Researchers reviewed more than 187,000 test results from 205 laboratories, collected between 2016 and 2019 across Burkina Faso, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. The research also showed that some groups are more likely to have drug-resistant infections. People over the age of 65 were 28 percent more likely to have resistant infections than younger adults. Patients already admitted to hospitals had a 24 percent higher risk, likely due to increased exposure to antibiotics. Previous use of antibiotics was also linked to higher resistance.
However, the study also revealed serious gaps. Fewer than 2 percent of health facilities were equipped to test for bacterial infections, and only 12 percent of drug resistance records were linked to patient information. Without this kind of data, it is more difficult for health officials to understand how and why resistance is spreading. The quality of data varied between countries. Senegal had the strongest systems, while Sierra Leone struggled with data collection. Many laboratories still use handwritten records, and most lack reliable digital systems.
Supported by the UK's Fleming Fund and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the study calls on governments to make drug resistance a national priority by investing in better laboratories, routine testing, and stronger digital systems. Without action, the threat of drug resistance could reverse decades of health and development gains.
For African countries, AMR remains a complex problem, leaving countries with a pressing question: Where do we start from? This study brings to light groundbreaking AMR data for African countries. "We must act now—and together—to address AMR," said Dr. Yewande Alimi, the One Health Unit Lead at Africa CDC.