Muhammad Pate, Nigeria’s minister of health and social welfare, has expressed concern over the growing threat of drug-resistant infections in the country, warning that the trend poses a “silent pandemic” capable of undermining progress made in disease control and treatment.
He cautioned that countries often waits for crises before investing in preparedness, noting that this reactive approach has proven costly in both human and economic terms.
“The rising threat of drug-resistant infections is a silent pandemic. It is time now that we need to prepare and get ready because crisis can strike any time. The lesson of Ebola and COVID-19 are clear. Every naira spent on infection prevention, hygiene, and antimicrobial resistance control, save many more in treatment and economic loss.”