Antimicrobial Resistance Response: Perspectives in Africa (Vol. 2)

You can find the first volume of this Research Topic here.Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a One Health growing global threat that affects public health, animal health, and the environment, in terms of increasing morbidity, mortality and costs at both an individual and public health level. In view of growing mortality rates, AMR is increasingly seen as the next pandemic. It is caused by the misuse and overuse of antimicrobials. Africa, like other regions of the world, is facing this growing threat, which is further compounded by weak health systems, poor sanitation, and inadequate access to clean water. This is exacerbated by the greatest prevalence of infectious diseases worldwide currently seen in sub-Saharan Africa.One Health is a collaborative approach that recognizes that the health of one sector impacts the health of the others, and this is particularly relevant to the problem of AMR, where use in humans or animals with overflow to the environment compounds the problem.The 2019 Lancet Commission has put Africa as a super-region - contributing one of the highest number of deaths from AMR. In Africa, the problem of AMR is particularly alarming due to a number of determinant factors. Firstly, the use of antibiotics in both human and animal health is often unregulated, leading to incorrect and disproportionate use. This is driven by poor sanitation and hygiene, which increases the risk of infection and the spread of resistant strains of bacteria. Secondly, the prevalence of infectious diseases which require antimicrobial treatment, which leads to a greater need for antibiotics, which in turn increases the risk of AMR. Finally, the weak health systems and limited human, technical and economic resources in many African countries make it difficult to implement effective AMR prevention and control programs. Topic editors: Sylvia Opanga, Abiodun Egwuenu Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/82518/antimicrobial-resistance-response-perspectives-in-africa-vol-2