Dr. Nnakelu Eriobu and Dr. Charity Oga-Omenza address journalists during the IHVN antimicrobial resistance reporting training in Abuja.
The Institute of Human Virology Nigeria (IHVN) has called on journalists to lead public awareness efforts against antimicrobial resistance (AMR), warning that the growing misuse of antibiotics is silently driving a major public health crisis in Nigeria.
The appeal was made during a two day antimicrobial resistance reporting training organised by IHVN in collaboration with the Nigeria AMR Media Alliance (NAMA) under the Antimicrobial Stewardship Education Program (A-STEP).
Speaking on behalf of IHVN Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Patrick Dakum, Senior Programme Manager, Research and Evaluation, Dr. Nnakelu Eriobu, said journalists play a critical role in translating scientific findings into information that ordinary Nigerians can understand and act upon.
“You can have all the science, but if journalists do not communicate it to the public, the science becomes useless,” Eriobu said.
He described AMR as a condition in which medicines used to treat infections no longer work, leaving patients sick for longer periods, increasing healthcare costs, reducing productivity and, in severe cases, leading to death.
According to him, antimicrobial resistance is a complex challenge driven by inappropriate use of antibiotics, poor infection prevention practices, environmental factors, animal farming and weak public awareness.
Eriobu stressed that tackling the problem requires a One Health approach involving healthcare workers, pharmacists, veterinarians, policymakers, communities and the media.
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He said IHVN is investing in capacity building because inadequate public knowledge remains one of the biggest drivers of antibiotic misuse.
“We are depending on journalists to communicate this science in simple language that can make a real impact,” he added.
Also speaking, Principal Investigator of the A-STEP Project, Dr. Charity Oga-Omenka, warned against self-medication and the widespread use of antibiotics without proper diagnosis.
She noted that many Nigerians obtain antibiotics without prescriptions, a practice that accelerates antimicrobial resistance and reduces the effectiveness of life-saving medicines.
Oga-Omenka, explained that doctors rely on laboratory tests to determine whether disease-causing organisms are resistant to specific antibiotics before prescribing the most effective treatment.
“The public needs to become comfortable with proper diagnosis and laboratory testing instead of assuming every fever is malaria or treating themselves,” she said.
She cautioned that symptoms such as cough, fever and body weakness are common to several diseases, including malaria, tuberculosis, influenza and COVID-19, making self-diagnosis risky.
On traditional medicine, Oga-Omenka, acknowledged that some herbal remedies may possess medicinal value but said the lack of standardisation, dosage regulation and quality control remains a major concern.
She warned that some herbal preparations may even contain undisclosed pharmaceutical ingredients, posing additional health risks.
Earlier, Founding Chairperson of the Nigeria AMR Media Alliance (NAMA), Ojoma Akor, described antimicrobial resistance as a “silent pandemic” that threatens decades of medical progress by making common infections increasingly difficult to treat.
She said AMR remains underreported in Nigeria despite its far-reaching consequences for healthcare, agriculture and the economy.
Akor urged journalists to move beyond reporting official events and instead investigate how antibiotic misuse, weak policy implementation and poor public awareness are fueling the crisis in communities, hospitals, pharmacies, laboratories and farms.
She challenged media professionals to produce evidence-based reports that educate the public, influence policy and promote accountability.
The training aims to strengthen journalists’ understanding of antimicrobial resistance and improve reporting that encourages responsible use of antimicrobial medicines across Nigeria.
By Julian Adetinuyo
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