Health
Beyond labs: Don calls for urgent action to tackle antibiotic resistance
Gabriel Oshokha
A University of Ibadan microbiologist has warned that Nigeria’s fight against antimicrobial resistance will remain weak if research findings stay trapped in lecture halls and laboratories.
Dr. Abimbola Adekanmbi, who spoke while delivering a Faculty Lecture titled “Antibiotic Resistance Through the One Health Lens: A Mosaic of Aces and Offsides,” said scientific knowledge must move from journals to the people who need it most — health workers, farmers, policymakers and the general public.
He explained that antimicrobial resistance happens when microorganisms that were once killed or controlled by drugs develop the ability to survive them, making infections harder to treat.
Simplifying the complexity, Adekanmbi used the image of a mosaic. “Individual pieces might appear insignificant, but when brought together, they form a much bigger picture,” he said, noting that antimicrobial resistance is similarly driven by interconnected human, animal and environmental activities.
Adekanmbi identified unnecessary use of antibiotics as a major driver.
“Some people take antibiotics without having any infection. Someone may have a headache and think, ‘The best thing is to take antibiotics,’” he said.
He warned that such misuse gives microorganisms the chance to adapt and become resistant, rendering the drugs ineffective when they are truly needed.
He noted that recent research in Nigeria has linked the growing threat to easy over-the-counter access to antibiotics without prescription, poor awareness, inappropriate prescribing, weak infection prevention and environmental contamination.
The environment, he said, is a critical but often overlooked part of the chain, citing hospital wastewater, solid waste dumpsites, surface water, human and chemical waste, as well as animals and their immediate surroundings.
According to him, untreated wastewater in particular creates selective pressure that allows drug-resistant microorganisms to thrive.
He therefore advocated improved wastewater treatment and better environmental management as part of the response, stressing that
“the solution lies in translating research into action.”
Adekanmbi called for stronger collaboration between universities, government agencies, healthcare professionals, farmers, environmental authorities and communities to ensure that evidence informs both policy and daily practice.
He noted that Nigeria already has a Second One Health Antimicrobial Resistance National Action Plan covering 2024 to 2028, which he said adopts a multisectoral approach across human, animal, food, plant and environmental health.
“The challenge, therefore, is not simply identifying the causes of resistance but ensuring that existing knowledge is translated into action,” he said.
On public enlightenment, Adekanmbi said awareness campaigns must go beyond defining resistance.
He added that the public needs to understand why self-medication is dangerous, why antibiotics must be used responsibly, and how poor sanitation and environmental practices fuel resistance.
He listed responsible antibiotic use, stronger antimicrobial stewardship, improved diagnosis, better infection prevention, effective regulation and proper management of hospital and agricultural waste as key interventions.
He also emphasised the role of farmers and veterinarians, noting that antimicrobial use in animals contributes to the wider resistance problem.
He said the One Health approach recognises that human, animal and environmental health are interconnected, and called for coordinated action across the sectors rather than isolated efforts.
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