Nigeria to host 5th global ministerial AMR conference

Nigeria has emerged as the host of the 5th Global High-Level Ministerial AMR Conference in 2026, taking over the baton from Saudi Arabia.

The announcement was made at the 4th Global High-Level Ministerial Conference on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), which was held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, from 15 to 16 November.

Confirming the development on his X account, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Pate, acknowledged the success of the 4th bi-annual high-level ministerial meeting and pledged to build upon it for the 2026 edition.

Mr Pate expressed gratitude to Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Health, Fahad Al-Jalajel, and the Ministry of Health for their leadership in combating AMR.

Nigeria, the newest member of the Troika and hosts for the 5th bi-annual Meeting in 2026. [PHOTO CREDIT: @FahadAlJalajel]

“We will learn and build upon your success for the 5th edition in 2026. Counting on the Troika process for smooth transition and the quadripartite. Nigeria is open to welcoming all member states in 2026,” Mr Pate noted.

Approval of Jeddah commitments

According to the Saudi Press Agency, the ministerial conference culminated in the approval of the Jeddah Commitments, marking significant progress in the global fight against antimicrobial resistance.

The conference themed: “From Declaration to Implementation”, had ministers, health experts, and stakeholders from around the world address the urgent need for coordinated action to address AMR.

The Jeddah Commitments build on the Political Declaration on AMR adopted at the 79th United Nations General Assembly High-Level Meeting on AMR in September.

The Jeddah Commitments include strengthened governance, enhanced surveillance and stewardship, capacity building, research and development, and public awareness building through educational initiatives.

Speaking on the adoption of the Jeddah Commitments, the Saudi Minister of Health said he believes the commitments drive the global AMR agenda forward with impactful actions. “It’s time to act,” he said.

Mr Al-Jalajel also announced Nigeria as the host of the 5th Global High-Level Ministerial Conference on the issue.

“To maintain momentum, we propose a stronger mechanism, the troika system, to drive forward action and implementation through 2025 and 2026 until the 5th Ministerial Meeting. I look forward to working with Nigeria as the newest member of the troika,” he added.

AMR target

World leaders at UNGA79 committed to tackling AMR, setting a target of reducing deaths by 10 per cent by 2030.

A 15-page political declaration was signed by 193 member states to scale up action to address the looming threat that AMR poses to global health, food security and achieving the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

In the political declaration, the member states committed to strengthening governance mechanisms for responding to AMR using a One Health approach, which involves addressing AMR in human, animal, and plant health.

About AMR

AMR occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites become resistant to the medicines used to treat infections, making these medicines ineffective.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), AMR is the third leading cause of mortality in the world, with over one million deaths directly linked to bacterial AMR, and five million deaths indirectly.

WHO projected that AMR will cause 39 million deaths worldwide over the next 25 years, equivalent to over three deaths every minute.

Recently, Mr Pate said AMR was linked to more than 64,000 deaths in Nigeria in 2019, noting that these deaths occurred at a time when only 42.7 per cent of the entire population had access to healthcare.