The African Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has called upon African Union (AU) Member States to step up to the national level and take concrete actions to respond to the African Union Framework for AMR 2026-2030. This comes after the high-level continental consultation results and subsequent press briefings inviting questions, describing AMR as one of the high-ranking threats to Africa’s health security. Experts and policymakers gathered for three days at Africa CDC headquarters to assess the AU AMR Framework and establish goals for the subsequent five years.
The national AMR action plan for 47 countries
Policymakers and experts created a national AMR action plan for 47 countries; however, the Africa CDC reported that the plans, as well as the national actions, are underfunded and poorly implemented. Dr. Merawi Aragaw, Head of Surveillance and Disease Intelligence at the Africa CDC, commented that most of the time, the endeavors are not funded.
Aragaw encourages the integration of AMR domestically, claiming reliance on external cycles is unfeasible.
“Most of the time, these plans are not funded.”
AMREF Health Africa and Africa CDC speakers, as well as AU-IBAR, ECSA-HC, and ICARS, referred to the need for heightened One Health collaboration in human, animal, plant, and environmental health. AMR is not a “silent pandemic” and is poised to erase the progress made on controlling diseases.
Africa CDC, along with Dr. Jean Kaseya and other AMR leadership, reinforced the urgency of the other health threats during Africa’s Special Weekly Health Emergencies Press Briefing. The briefing captured AMR’s role as a cross-border problem calling for unified action, as well as collaboration with ministries nationally towards strengthening preparedness and addressing other health threats.
Version 2.0 of the framework is scheduled in advance of the 2026 Global Ministerial Meeting
This new version of the framework builds on five key pillars:
- Surveillance and laboratory capacity
- Stewardship and access to countermeasures
- Infection prevention and control
- Governance, leadership, and financing
- Advocacy and behaviour change
The briefing captured AMR’s role as a cross-border problem calling for unified action
Dr. Kaseya pointed out that AMR should be a continental priority and that inaction on this front will be a waste of resources and ultimately, lives.
There has been progress, but financing, regulatory enforcement, and awareness gaps are still huge. The Africa CDC has called for AMR indicators to be included in a country’s national health plan, as well as some collaboration with the agriculture, veterinary, and environmental sectors. The framework encourages the use of translated AUC documents, still with a plan to engage the youth and civil society.
Africa CDC to track progress through annual reporting and peer review
Looking ahead, Africa CDC will track progress on this goal through member states’ annual reporting and peer review. AMR leadership countries will be accountable and responsible for guiding other countries. Dr. Mazyanga Lucy Mazaba, Regional Coordinator for Eastern Africa, said during the consultation that the next 5 years should be about ‘owning’ AMR.
The emphasis is clear for Africa’s 2026–2030 agenda. Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) is a global health emergency, and action must be taken. By adopting the new framework and its entire implementation, Africa will save the impact of critical, life-saving medicines, and protect generations to come from the horrors associated with infections that will become resistant to treatment.