Africa Mounts High-Level Fightback as Africa CDC Co-Leads 7th Continental AMR Awareness Week in Dar es Salaam. By Raymond Enoch
Africa delivered one of its most forceful and coordinated pushes yet against antimicrobial resistance (AMR) as leaders, scientists, policymakers, and global partners converged in Dar es Salaam for the 7th Continental World AMR Awareness Week (WAAW2025). Co-led by Africa CDC, the high-level gathering marked a decisive continental shift from mere awareness to structured, collective action on one of the most pressing health threats of the century.
The week unfolded with the urgency of a regional mobilisation. Africa CDC—working in close partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), World Health Organization (WHO), the World Organisation for Animal Health, UN Environment Programme (UNEP), and AU-IBAR—elevated AMR as a top public health and development priority.
Central to the discussions was a strengthened One Health approach, recognising that drug-resistant infections cut across human, animal, and environmental sectors. The stakes remain stark: AMR was linked to an estimated 1.14 million deaths in Africa in 2021, a figure that continues to alarm health and economic experts.
Tanzania’s Vice President, Dr. Emmanuel Nchimbi, opened the week by reaffirming Tanzania’s commitment and urging a continent-wide political awakening to the scale of the AMR challenge. His call echoed through sessions focused on enhanced surveillance, improved antimicrobial stewardship, and the accelerated implementation of national AMR action plans.
What emerged was a continent demonstrating renewed leadership and unity—not only in identifying the scale of the problem but in committing to the systems, partnerships, and accountability needed to defeat it. Governments showed increased determination to translate technical guidance into measurable national and regional action.
For Africa CDC, the Dar es Salaam gathering represented far more than an annual observance—it showcased continental leadership at a critical moment. The agency pressed for sustained investment, strengthened cross-border cooperation, and deeper integration of AMR priorities into national health financing frameworks.
As the curtains closed, partners departed Dar es Salaam with a clear, shared understanding: defeating AMR is a continental mission requiring joint intelligence, pooled resources, and unwavering political resolve.
The 7th Continental AMR Awareness Week ended on a note of powerful momentum—placing Africa in a stronger, more organised position to turn the tide against antimicrobial resistance and secure the continent’s health, food systems, and long-term economic stability.
