The Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has called for stronger youth participation and the use of local languages in public health communication to tackle antimicrobial resistance (AMR), one of Nigeria’s most serious health threats.
Speaking at the launch of the SayAMR Language Hackathon in Abuja on Friday, he noted that effective communication is crucial in public health, especially as the country enters the Lassa fever season. He stressed the importance of timely and culturally relevant messaging to protect communities.
The SayAMR Language Hackathon, organised by NCDC in collaboration with DRASA Health Trust, the Centre for Infection Control and Patient Safety, the University of Lagos, and the Committee of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities, seeks to develop AMR-related terms in Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba, and Pidgin English to strengthen grassroots understanding.
“By translating AMR concepts into major Nigerian languages, we can empower farmers, traders, and communities to understand how resistance spreads and why rational antibiotic use matters,” she said.
World Health Organization Technical Officer for AMR and One Health, Dr. Chavan Laxmikant, praised the initiative as both innovative and timely. Comparing India and Nigeria, he said that multilingual settings make English-only campaigns ineffective.
“Misuse of antibiotics begins in communities where people demand them unnecessarily. This hackathon will help communities understand what AMR is and their role in stopping it,” he said, noting that more than 60,000 Nigerians die each year from AMR.
Dr. Ayodele Majekodunmi, Project Lead for the World Bank-funded Health Security Programme for West and Central Africa under WOAH, described AMR as a cross-border challenge requiring regional collaboration. He commended the hackathon for engaging youth and empowering communities with accurate and culturally relevant knowledge.
Chidinma Ibe, Head of the Infection Prevention and Control Programme at the Institute of Human Virology Nigeria (IHVN), said that community engagement and culturally tailored messaging are key to controlling AMR. Translating scientific information into local languages, she explained, improves understanding and promotes infection prevention practices at the grassroots.
Niniola Williams, Managing Director of DRASA Health Trust, said the hackathon brings together science, creativity, and community to confront one of Nigeria’s most pressing health challenges.
She noted that infections continue to disrupt lives and weaken the health system, though most are preventable. Williams said DRASA, established in memory of Dr. Ameyo Stella Adadevoh, carries on her legacy of courage and prevention.
“The SayAMR Hackathon expands that vision by showing that prevention is not just about medicine or policy but also about how we communicate. How we speak about AMR determines how people understand and act on it,” she said.
Williams also commended NCDC, the Committee of Vice-Chancellors, and other partners for supporting efforts to turn AMR prevention into a national movement that reaches every home, market, and classroom.
