By Chukwuemeka Paschal
As antibiotic resistance escalates worldwide, Nigeria is emerging as a critical battleground for ensuring equitable access to safe and effective antibiotics.
Substandard or falsified antibiotics make up an estimated 10% of human antibiotic use in low and middle income countries (LMICs), exacerbating resistance and claiming lives.
In a bid to tackle this urgent challenge, The Trinity Challenge partnered with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) and global health organization Jhpiego to convene a high-level workshop in Abuja.
The workshop brought together health experts, technologists, policymakers, and researchers to design actionable solutions. Key discussions centered on leveraging data and technology to improve supply chain transparency, detect counterfeit drugs, and ensure reliable access to quality antibiotics.
Attendees tested prototypes for digital tools aimed at real-time stock monitoring and AI-driven platforms to verify medication authenticity. The event focused on combating systemic barriers such as poor antibiotic stock control and the proliferation of substandard or falsified antibiotics issues that disproportionately threaten LMICs.
Dr. Jide Idris, Director General of the NCDC, delivered a stark message: “We may be walking with our eyes wide open into a future where antibiotics no longer work. AMR is not a problem for tomorrow, it is a crisis we are facing now, and if we fail to act, medicine will fail us when we need it most.”
Louise Gough, Chief Operating Officer of The Trinity Challenge, emphasized the workshop’s significance: “Today has been an extremely exciting and enlightening opportunity to work with colleagues in Nigeria, where we know there is a great wealth of health expertise and innovation working to tackle high rates of antibiotic-resistant infections. Today was a great example of the power of multi-disciplinary collaboration to begin to develop solutions to these barriers.”
Dr. Yemisi Ogundare, Project Director at Jhpiego, stressed the human cost: “Today’s workshop marks a significant leap toward solving these challenges by harnessing innovation, collaboration, and technology to create sustainable solutions from experts within the sector that will improve access to high quality, life saving antibiotics for those who need them most.”
The workshop coincides with the launch of The Trinity Challenge’s £1 million global innovation competition, Community Access to Effective Antibiotics, calling for data driven strategies to address stock control and counterfeit drugs. Submissions close April 24, 2025.
Since its 2020 founding, The Trinity Challenge has awarded £8.4 million to combat health threats, including £2.7 million in 2024 for antimicrobial resistance initiatives.
Emmanuel Onwuka