Ghana Leads Africa in Advancing a People-Centred Approach to Address Antimicrobial Resistance

When a child's bloodstream infection no longer responds to prescribed antibiotics, or a mother's minor wound turns life-threatening despite treatment, it is not because the medicines are no longer working but the germs causing the infection have changed and the antibiotics are no longer effective. This silent crisis, known as antimicrobial resistance (AMR), is one of the world's top ten global health threats.

AMR occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites no longer respond to antimicrobial medicines. Antibiotics and other antimicrobials therefore lose their effectiveness, and the infections they cause are more difficult or impossible to treat. AMR makes once-curable infections harder and costlier to treat, endangering health systems and lives. AMR-related illnesses claimed the lives of about 4.71 million individuals worldwide in 2021. In Ghana, AMR was linked to 23,000 fatalities in 2021, with 1,512 of those deaths occurring in children under the age of five

Globally, countries including Ghana, have developed national AMR policies and action plans in response to this threat. While progress has been made, limited financing and insufficient integration into broader health systems have slowed full implementation of these plans.

In response, WHO launched the People-Centred Approach to Address AMR - a new initiative that promotes integrating AMR interventions into national health systems, especially at the primary care level. This approach aligns with key global and regional frameworks, including the WHO Regional Strategy on AMR and the 2024 UN General Assembly Political Declaration on AMR.

Acknowledging Ghana's remarkable progress in both implementing its national AMR Action Plan and advancing primary health care (PHC), the country was selected as the first in the WHO African Region to pilot this initiative.

"Ghana's experience offers valuable lessons for other countries. Embedding AMR-related interventions into national and subnational PHC-oriented policies, strategies and related governance, with links to monitoring frameworks and budgeting, will increase the likelihood of their adoption and continuity", said Dr. Nienke Bruinsma from WHO Headquarters' AMR Department.

From 27-31 October 2025, a high-level WHO mission, co-led by WHO Headquarters, the Regional Office for Africa (AFRO), and the WHO Country Office in Ghana, was conducted to assess how AMR interventions are being integrated into Ghana's national health system, with emphasis on PHC.

The mission involved a comprehensive scoping process that included stakeholder consultations, desk reviews of policies and data, field visits to primary care facilities and community pharmacies and a three-day national workshop that brought together experts from the Ministry of Health, Ghana Health Service, Food and Drugs Authority, private health practitioners, professional bodies and associations, regulatory bodies, academia, and civil society among others.

Speaking on behalf of the WHO Representative to Ghana at the workshop, Dr. Frank Lule commended Ghana's leadership and the multisectoral collaboration driving this initiative.

"AMR is not just a laboratory or hospital issue, it's a community issue that demands collective responsibility. By integrating AMR interventions into primary health care, we are taking a major step toward protecting the effectiveness of medicines, improving health security, and strengthening resilience at the community level", he said.

During field visits, mission members observed how health workers manage infections, educate patients on medicine use and liaise with community pharmacists to monitor antimicrobial use.

Mr. Saviour Yevustey, national AMR Focal Person and Head of the AMR Secretariat at the Ministry of Health, underscored Ghana's commitment to translating recommendations into action.

"The insights and recommendations from this process will help us strengthen our PHC systems so that every facility, every health worker, and every community contribute to preserving the power of medicines. We look forward to working with WHO and partners to translate these findings into concrete actions",he said.

The mission concluded with the identification of priority focus areas for integrating AMR into PHC in Ghana. A technical report is being developed to guide next steps, including follow-up engagements on short-term technical support to build national capacity.

Ghana's participation in the PHC-AMR initiative marks a significant milestone in global and regional efforts to address antimicrobial resistance. By putting people and communities at the centre of the response, Ghana is helping chart a path toward a future where life-saving medicines remain effective for generations to come.