The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has concluded a critical three day continental meeting with a clear mandate: turn antimicrobial resistance strategies into concrete country level actions that save lives and protect health systems across the continent.
The meeting, held from 27 to 29 October 2025 at Africa CDC headquarters, brought together African Union organs and Member States to finalise Framework 2.0, which will guide antimicrobial resistance implementation from 2026 to 2030. Dr Merawi Aragaw, Head of the Division for Surveillance and Disease Intelligence at Africa CDC, praised achievements under the first framework but highlighted ongoing challenges with funding and execution.
While nearly 47 countries have developed national antimicrobial resistance action plans, Dr Aragaw noted that “most of the time these are not funded,” urging governments to embed these programmes within domestic budgets rather than depending on external aid cycles. He stressed that African nations must take ownership of the problem by prioritising resources and integrating antimicrobial resistance control into their medium term expenditure frameworks.
The new framework targets an April 2026 launch, strategically positioned ahead of the 5th Global High Level Ministerial Conference on Antimicrobial Resistance scheduled for 29 to 30 June 2026 in Abuja, Nigeria. This global gathering marks the first time the landmark conference will take place on African soil, underscoring the continent’s rising leadership role in addressing this public health crisis.
Delegates revisited five strategic focus areas during the consultation: surveillance and laboratory capacity; stewardship and access to countermeasures; infection prevention and control; governance, leadership and financing; and advocacy and behaviour change. Representatives from the African Union Inter African Bureau for Animal Resources (AU IBAR), the East, Central and Southern Africa Health Community (ECSA HC), the International Centre for Antimicrobial Resistance Solutions (ICARS) and AMREF Health Africa emphasised the need for stronger One Health coordination spanning human, animal, plant and environmental health sectors.
Dr Mazyanga Lucy Mazaba, Regional Coordinator for Eastern Africa, moderated a session on transforming antimicrobial resistance financing amid shifting global funding patterns. She declared that “the next five years must be about scale and ownership” of antimicrobial resistance efforts across the continent.
Jackline Kiarie, Director of Programmes at AMREF Health Africa, warned that antimicrobial resistance “is no longer the silent pandemic but a critical factor threatening to reverse gains made across health programmes if nothing is done”. She stressed the importance of keeping the issue central to health agendas even as external funding declines.
A high level financing panel comprising representatives from ECSA Health Community, AMREF, ICARS, Africa CDC and the World Bank developed recommendations to sustain the fight. Governments were urged to introduce explicit antimicrobial resistance budget lines in upcoming fiscal cycles and integrate them into Medium Term Expenditure Frameworks. Additional recommendations included strengthening national One Health platforms with private sector participation and publishing quarterly scorecards tracking spending, coverage, quality and impact.
Panellists cautioned against launching new, short term “catalytic funds” that fade with grant cycles, instead calling on partners and development finance institutions to align with nationally owned roadmaps and invest in interoperable data systems that strengthen investment cases.
Dr Aragaw highlighted that since the early months of the COVID 19 pandemic, the continent has expanded from just two countries capable of genomic sequencing to around 41 countries. This expansion opens significant opportunities for genomics enabled surveillance against antimicrobial resistance threats. He encouraged delegates to leverage advances in data, mobile technology and artificial intelligence assisted tools while maintaining vigilance on biosafety and biosecurity risks in fragile settings.
Officials emphasised that the updated framework must be sharper, more delivery focused and results driven than its predecessor, equipping governments to delay the emergence of resistance, limit transmission and ensure equitable access to quality antimicrobials, diagnostics and vaccines. Inputs from this consultation will be translated into additional African Union languages to broaden expert review and enhance participation from youth and civil society organisations.
The message from Addis Ababa was unambiguous: the first framework provided a blueprint; the sequel must deliver measurable results. With an April 2026 launch approaching and interim milestones already defined, Africa’s antimicrobial resistance community will now be evaluated by its ability to translate continental momentum into funded national programmes, functional One Health governance and visible improvements in patient safety and productivity.
