Antimicrobial resistance landscape in Africa: Perspectives from the World Health Organization GLASS report 2025

TL;DR

Antimicrobial resistance is a major public health issue in Africa, worsened by poor surveillance and antibiotic misuse.

Contribution

The paper highlights the 2025 WHO GLASS report's findings on AMR in Africa, emphasizing surveillance gaps and stewardship weaknesses.

Findings

Africa faces a high AMR burden despite limited surveillance coverage.

Weak laboratory capacity and bloodstream infection surveillance are major issues.

Empirical antibiotic use and misalignment with WHO AWaRe targets accelerate resistance.

Abstract

•Africa bears a disproportionate burden of antimicrobial resistance despite limited surveillance coverage.•World Health Organization (WHO) Global Antimicrobial Resistance and Use Surveillance System data reveal major gaps in laboratory capacity and bloodstream infection surveillance across the continent.•Antimicrobial stewardship implementation remains weak at community, district, and tertiary care levels.•Misalignment with WHO Access, Watch, and Reserve (AWaRe) targets and widespread empirical antibiotic use accelerate resistance.

Africa bears a disproportionate burden of antimicrobial resistance despite limited surveillance coverage.

World Health Organization (WHO) Global Antimicrobial Resistance and Use Surveillance System data reveal major gaps in laboratory capacity and bloodstream infection surveillance across the continent.

Antimicrobial stewardship implementation remains weak at community, district, and tertiary care levels.

Misalignment with WHO Access, Watch, and Reserve (AWaRe) targets and widespread empirical antibiotic use accelerate resistance.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) represents a growing public health threat in Africa, where surveillance capacity and antimicrobial stewardship remain limited. Using findings from the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Antimicrobial Resistance and Use Surveillance System (GLASS) Report 2025, this commentary highlights the disproportionate burden of resistant infections across the continent, major gaps in laboratory infrastructure, and incomplete national surveillance coverage. Weak diagnostic capacity, widespread empirical antibiotic use, and misalignment with WHO Access, Watch, and Reserve (AWaRe) targets further exacerbate resistance. Strengthening AMR surveillance, diagnostics, and antimicrobial stewardship, and governance across all levels of the healthcare system is essential to mitigate AMR and advance Universal Health Coverage in low-resource settings.