- Amina’s mother thought she had a simple infection, until every antibiotic stopped working and she watched hope slip away with each failed treatment
- Her story mirrors the reality faced by thousands across Africa where resistant infections are turning once-treatable illnesses into life-threatening emergencies
- In the wake of the antimicrobial resistance (AMR) scourge, healthcare professionals have been holding discussion to solve the crisis that is reshaping healthcare
When seven-year-old Amina first complained of a fever and a swelling on her leg, her mother, Mariam, thought it was an ordinary childhood infection, something a short course of antibiotics would fix.
Source: Getty Images
But as the days passed, the swelling grew, the fever refused to break, and the antibiotics prescribed at their local clinic did nothing.
How medicine refused to work on Amina
Speaking to TUKO.co.ke, Mariam recalled how every medicine they tried stopped working, leaving her wondering how something so simple became so dangerous.
Doctors soon realised Amina was fighting a resistant bacterial infection, one that no longer responded to commonly used medicines.
In a crowded district hospital in northern Tanzania, where laboratory equipment was limited and essential drugs often ran short, the medical team fought to stay a step ahead of an infection that seemed to outrun every treatment.
For Mariam, each hour felt like a lifetime. She remembers the fear in the doctor’s voice when he disclosed that they needed a stronger medicine, but he was not sure they had it.
“It was terrifying,” Mariam recounted, adding that Amina’s survival became a race against time.
How Amina’s life was saved
After days of uncertainty, the hospital finally obtained a more advanced antibiotic from a regional facility.
The new treatment slowly started to work, and Amina’s fever dropped for the first time in a week. Nurses cheered quietly as she opened her eyes and asked for water. Her mother wept with relief.
Today, Amina is back in school, running and laughing like any other child her age. But her mother says the experience changed her forever.
“I didn’t know antibiotic resistance could affect my family,” Mariam says. “We always thought antibiotics were the answer to everything. Now I warn everyone in my village: don’t take them without advice. Don’t stop halfway. Don’t share medicines.”
The antimicrobial resistance (AMR) scourge
Amina’s story mirrors the reality faced by thousands of families across Africa, where resistant infections are turning once-treatable illnesses into life-threatening emergencies.
In many hospitals, doctors are seeing more cases where standard treatments fail. Some families must travel long distances for specialised drugs. Others never get the chance.
Health experts say stories like Amina’s show why Africa’s commitment to tackling antimicrobial resistance is urgent.
With improved laboratory systems, better training, stronger regulation of medicines, and responsible use of antibiotics in both humans and animals, many of these frightening moments can be prevented.
Statistics if AMR deaths in Africa
Africa shoulders the heaviest AMR burden due to unequal access to medical diagnostics, infection control, the inappropriate use of antimicrobials in both human medicine and veterinary medicine.
The pandemic is compounded by the challenge of inadequate water, sanitation and hygiene, with statistics showing that Africa reported more than 1.14 million AMR-related deaths in 2021.
“AMR is a complex challenge that requires both sector-specific actions in the human health, food production, animal and environmental sectors,” an official told TUKO.co.ke.
This requires a coordinated approach through One Health, which refers to an integrated, unifying approach that aims to achieve optimal health outcomes for people, animals and ecosystems.
World Antimicrobial Resistance Awareness Week
This year’s World Antimicrobial Resistance Awareness Week (WAAW) was held from December 2 to 6, under the theme “Act Now: Protect Our Present, Secure Our Future.”
Significant momentum is building across the continent as 47 WHO AFRO Member States have so far developed National AMR Action Plans.
“As of now, 52 countries have joined the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance System (GLASS),” he said.
Additionally, 29 countries are reporting AMR data and utilizing the evidence to inform policy and practice, while 32 member states are implementing antimicrobial stewardship initiatives.
Source: UGC
Quadripartite organizations participating
The event is spearheaded by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
WHO, along with the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), the African Union Inter-African Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR) are also part of the initiative.
“Antimicrobial resistance threatens our ability to treat even the most common infections. But this is a fight we can win with leadership, collaboration, and accountability,” Dr Emmanuel Nchimbi, Tanzania’s vice president, said.
As the Quadripartite organizations seek to improve awareness on antimicrobial resistance, they hope to protect the present, secure the future, and build an Africa where preventable infections no longer steal potential or promise.
For Mariam, the lesson is simple:
“I almost lost my daughter to something we didn’t understand. If we act now, maybe other mothers won’t have to feel that fear.”
Amina sits beside her, smiling shyly, living proof of why the continent’s fight against antimicrobial resistance cannot wait.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
