Abuja at the Crossroads: Why the World’s Biggest Health Security Summit Matters to Nigeria
Mirian Gom 
ABUJA, Nigeria – When a routine infection no longer responds to treatment, the consequences can be devastating.
Last year, a patient at a tertiary hospital in northern Nigeria was treated repeatedly for what doctors initially believed was a common bacterial infection. Several antibiotics failed. What should have been a straightforward medical intervention became a prolonged battle involving multiple hospital visits, additional tests and mounting healthcare costs.
For health experts, such cases are becoming increasingly familiar.
They represent the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) — a phenomenon in which bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites evolve to resist medicines designed to eliminate them. Once-effective drugs become less effective or completely useless, turning routine infections into potentially deadly conditions.
Later this month, that threat will bring more than 100 ministers, global health leaders, scientists, researchers and policymakers to Abuja for the 5th Global High-Level Ministerial Conference on Antimicrobial Resistance.
The summit, the first of its kind to be held in Africa, comes at a time when the continent is confronting multiple health threats simultaneously.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, recurring Ebola outbreaks have claimed thousands of lives over the years and continue to test fragile health systems. Uganda has also battled Ebola outbreaks in recent years. Across West Africa, Lassa fever remains endemic, while mpox has resurfaced in several countries. New COVID-19 variants continue to be monitored globally, serving as a reminder that infectious diseases remain a persistent threat.
Against this backdrop, Abuja’s conference arrives at a moment when governments are confronting a sobering reality: the next major health emergency may already be unfolding.
Why Nigeria Is Hosting the Summit
Nigeria’s selection as host is not accidental.
Africa’s most populous nation occupies a strategic position in global health security discussions. With a population exceeding 220 million people, extensive regional connectivity and one of the continent’s largest healthcare systems, Nigeria’s ability to prevent, detect and respond to outbreaks has implications far beyond its borders.
The country’s international reputation in public health was significantly strengthened during the 2014 Ebola outbreak.
When Ebola entered Lagos through an infected traveller, many feared a catastrophe in one of Africa’s most densely populated cities. Instead, Nigerian authorities mounted an aggressive response involving contact tracing, surveillance, emergency operations and coordinated public communication.
The outbreak was contained after only 20 confirmed cases and eight deaths, a response that has since been cited globally as a model for epidemic management.
That experience accelerated investments in disease surveillance and helped strengthen the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), which has since emerged as one of Africa’s leading public health institutions.
Today, the NCDC coordinates responses to outbreaks ranging from Lassa fever and cholera to mpox, meningitis and other infectious diseases. The agency also oversees surveillance systems that increasingly serve as a critical line of defence against emerging health threats.
The conference therefore represents not only a diplomatic achievement but also an opportunity for Nigeria to shape global health policy discussions from an African perspective.
The Silent Pandemic Already Killing Thousands
Unlike Ebola or COVID-19, antimicrobial resistance rarely dominates headlines.
Yet health experts warn it may prove even more destructive in the long term.
According to the World Health Organization, approximately 1.27 million deaths globally are directly attributable to drug-resistant bacterial infections each year, while millions more are associated with antimicrobial resistance.
Nigeria is already paying a heavy price.
Health estimates indicate that drug-resistant infections contribute to between 60,000 and 64,500 deaths annually in the country, with children under five among the most vulnerable victims.
Behind these statistics are systemic challenges that continue to fuel resistance.
Antibiotics are often purchased without prescriptions. Self-medication remains common. Many patients stop taking medications once symptoms improve rather than completing prescribed treatment courses. Counterfeit and substandard medicines remain a concern in parts of the healthcare system.
The result is a growing population of resistant pathogens capable of surviving treatments that once eliminated them.
For patients, this means longer illnesses, repeated hospital admissions and higher treatment costs.
For healthcare providers, it means fewer therapeutic options and greater pressure on already strained facilities.
The Economic Cost Nigeria Cannot Ignore
The impact of antimicrobial resistance extends far beyond hospitals.
It is increasingly becoming an economic and development challenge.
When infections become resistant to treatment, patients often require longer hospital stays, more expensive medicines and additional diagnostic tests. Families spend more on healthcare while losing income due to prolonged illness.
Employers face productivity losses as workers remain away from their jobs for extended periods.
Healthcare facilities consume greater resources treating preventable complications.
For governments, the financial burden can be enormous.
Resources that could have been invested in primary healthcare, maternal health, immunisation programmes and disease prevention are instead diverted toward managing increasingly complex infections.
Health economists warn that if resistance continues to rise unchecked, it could significantly increase healthcare expenditure while reducing workforce productivity and economic output.
For a developing country already grappling with competing healthcare priorities, the cost of inaction could be substantial.
From Ebola to Lassa Fever: The Threats Facing Nigeria
The urgency of the Abuja summit becomes clearer when viewed against Nigeria’s current disease burden.
According to the NCDC, Lassa fever has remained a significant public health challenge in 2026, with 204 deaths recorded nationwide and a case fatality rate of 25.7 per cent.
Meanwhile, a June 4 situation report published by Multidimensional Medical Corp indicated that 6,078 suspected cholera cases and 65 deaths had been reported as of June 3.
These figures highlight the continuing vulnerability of communities to infectious diseases despite advances in surveillance and response systems.
They also underscore why health security can no longer be viewed solely as a medical issue.
Disease outbreaks disrupt education, weaken economic productivity, strain healthcare systems and threaten national development.
COVID-19 demonstrated how quickly health emergencies can evolve into economic crises.
The lessons remain relevant.
Why the One Health Approach Matters
One of the defining themes of the Abuja conference is the “One Health” approach.
The concept recognizes that human health, animal health and environmental health are interconnected.
Many emerging infectious diseases originate in animals before crossing into human populations. Drug-resistant bacteria can spread through livestock production, food systems and environmental contamination.
For Nigeria, where agriculture remains a major employer and livestock production supports millions of livelihoods, this connection is particularly important.
The One Health framework encourages collaboration among public health agencies, veterinary services, environmental authorities and policymakers to address disease threats before they escalate into crises.
Rather than responding to outbreaks after they occur, the approach seeks to prevent them from occurring in the first place.
What Success Would Mean for Nigerians
For many Nigerians, the significance of the conference will ultimately be measured not by the number of ministers attending but by the outcomes that follow.
If commitments made in Abuja translate into concrete action, the benefits could be far-reaching.
Stronger laboratory systems could improve disease detection.
Enhanced surveillance networks could identify outbreaks earlier.
Improved antibiotic stewardship could preserve the effectiveness of lifesaving medicines.
Greater investment in research and pharmaceutical manufacturing could strengthen Nigeria’s healthcare resilience.
Most importantly, better preparedness could save lives.
In an era where diseases spread rapidly across borders, health security is increasingly national security.
Beyond the Conference Hall
The ministers who gather in Abuja will spend three days discussing antimicrobial resistance, disease surveillance and global preparedness.
But the real test will begin when they leave.
For millions of Nigerians, the measure of success will not be found in communiqués or declarations. It will be found in hospitals where antibiotics still work, in laboratories that detect outbreaks before they spread, and in communities protected from the next epidemic before it arrives.
The future of global health security may be debated in Abuja.
Whether it is achieved will depend on what happens afterward.
About the Author
Oluwatobi Adu 
Oluwafunbi Bello 
Korede Abdullah