A senior scientist at the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR), Dr. Emelda Chukwu, has warned that antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is fast becoming one of Nigeria’s most dangerous and underestimated health threats.
Speaking at the NIMR Media Chat held in Lagos on Monday, Dr. Chukwu revealed that recent surveillance conducted across selected hospitals in Lagos State uncovered “alarmingly high resistance” to third-generation cephalosporins — a major class of antibiotics used to treat serious infections.
According to her, the rise of drug-resistant pathogens poses grave risks to patient safety, healthcare delivery, and national health security, particularly in a country already burdened by infectious diseases.
“Our research shows that resistant organisms are not confined to hospitals alone. They circulate across humans, animals, and the environment. That is why we are applying a One-Health approach,” she explained.
Dr. Chukwu, a Medical Microbiologist and Senior Research Scientist at NIMR’s Centre for Infectious Diseases Research, has over a decade of experience in infectious disease epidemiology and antimicrobial resistance. She was also a member of the technical working group that developed Nigeria’s National Action Plan (NAP 2.0) on AMR.
She disclosed that through structured surveys across four healthcare facilities in Lagos, her team generated vital data that helped identify risk factors driving resistance trends and guided hospitals in developing antibiograms to support better prescription decisions.
Beyond hospital surveillance, the NIMR team extended its research to Lagos wastewater canals, using environmental monitoring as an early warning system for disease outbreaks.
The wastewater surveillance project successfully detected SARS-CoV-2 transmission trends during the COVID-19 pandemic and identified antimicrobial-resistant bacteria circulating within communities.
More significantly, the detection of Vibrio cholerae across nine local government areas led to a policy advisory to the Lagos State Government, warning of potential cholera outbreak risks.
“This approach demonstrates that wastewater monitoring is a cost-effective early detection strategy, especially in densely populated urban areas,” she said.
Dr. Chukwu stressed that surveillance alone is not enough to combat AMR. Her team has also led nationwide baseline studies assessing the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of healthcare providers and the public on antibiotic use.
She warned that without urgent and sustained action, common infections could once again become deadly.
“Antimicrobial resistance threatens to reverse decades of medical progress. The time to act is now,” she said.
In another presentation at the media chat, the Institute announced that a new study has revealed a significant prevalence of high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) strains among Nigerian women, underscoring the urgent need for effective vaccination and public awareness.
Led by Dr. Chika K. Onwuamah, Deputy Director (Research) at NIMR, the study examined HPV infection across a large cohort of women in Nigeria. HPV is a group of more than 200 viruses, most of which do not cause disease. However, persistent infection with certain high-risk types is a major cause of cervical cancer and has been linked to cancers of the vulva, vagina, throat, penis, and anus.
Between January 2015 and December 2019, surveys conducted across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones revealed a 34% infection rate, with 27% due to high-risk HPV strains. The findings suggest a critical public health challenge, particularly in light of low vaccination uptake: only 27% of women knew HPV could be prevented with vaccines, and a mere 6% had received vaccination.
The research identified risk factors associated with HPV infection, including alcohol consumption and smoking. Women engaging in both behaviors were twice as likely to be infected compared to women who neither drink nor smoke. Pregnant women and female commercial sex workers were also found to have higher infection rates.
“Our findings demonstrate that high-risk HPV strains are prevalent among Nigerian women and contribute significantly to cervical cancer risk,” Dr. Onwuamah said. “There is a pressing need to expand vaccination programmes and educate women on prevention.”
The study recommends the introduction of more robust HPV vaccines into Nigeria’s ongoing vaccination initiatives and highlights the importance of targeted awareness campaigns, particularly for high-risk populations.