A new report by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has raised concern about the growing number of drug-resistant infections in Nigeria and 13 other African countries. The study, which analysed over 187,000 lab results, shows that bacteria like E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus are becoming increasingly resistant to common antibiotics.
In Nigeria and Ghana, over 70% of samples were resistant to methicillin, a major hospital antibiotic. Older adults and hospital patients were found to be at a higher risk of these infections. The study also revealed that most African health facilities lack the equipment to test for bacterial infections. In many places, data is still recorded manually, making it more difficult to track the spread.
The Africa CDC is urging African governments to take swift action by upgrading laboratory systems, collecting more accurate data, and investing in digital health tools. Experts warn that if nothing is done, many years of health progress could be lost.
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