Presented at the JOINT event organized by the Student Chapter of Public Health Society Against Infectious Diseases (PHSAID), University of Port Harcourt, Port Harcourt, Nigeria — 6th of May 2025
Presented By
Prince C. Nnadozie
BSc.(UNIPORT),MSc.(Norway).MPhil.(Bergen),MNSM
President & Founder, Public Health Society Against Infectious Diseases (PHSAID)
Prince Nnadozie, President and Founder, PHSAID
Good day distinguished lecturers, respected guests, and most especially, the vibrant and passionate students of the University of Port Harcourt. It is truly a privilege for me to stand here today, not only as a guest speaker, but as a proud alumnus of this great institution. Having once walked these same halls and sat in these same lecture rooms, I can confidently say that I have witnessed remarkable growth and positive transformation over time. Seeing the progress, innovation, and increasing student engagement in public health advocacy fills me with immense pride and hope for the future.
PHSAID – UNIPORT Chapter
I would like to sincerely appreciate every student present here for your commitment to learning, leadership, and service. Your presence reflects a generation that is academically driven, socially conscious, and ready to confront the pressing health challenges of our time. In particular, I commend the Student Chapter of the Public Health Society Against Infectious Diseases (PHSAID) for the outstanding work you are doing in promoting health awareness, infection prevention, and evidence-based public health advocacy within the university and beyond. Your dedication to combating infectious diseases and championing responsible health practices demonstrates vision, courage, and responsibility. At a time when antibiotic resistance threatens global health security, initiatives like yours are not just commendable – they are essential. You are shaping informed communities, empowering your peers with knowledge, and strengthening the culture of prevention that our nation urgently needs. Thank you for your leadership, your passion, and your unwavering commitment to building a healthier Nigeria.
Nigeria stands at a dangerous crossroads. The unchecked sale of over-the-counter antibiotics has fueled a silent but devastating crisis – “antibiotic resistance”. What was once a miracle of modern medicine is rapidly losing its power. Infections that were easily treatable are becoming persistent, expensive, and deadly. If decisive action is not taken now, routine surgeries, childbirth, and minor infections could once again become life-threatening. This is not a distant threat. It is happening in our hospitals, pharmacies, markets, and homes. Dear Unique students, see this challenge as a call to action.
The Growing Crisis
Antibiotics are meant to be life-saving, prescription-only medicines. Yet across Nigeria, they are widely accessible in stores and shops without proper medical oversight. Self-medication, incomplete dosing, counterfeit drugs, and inappropriate prescribing practices have accelerated the emergence of resistant bacteria.
The consequences are severe:
- Increased treatment failure
- Longer hospital stays
- Higher healthcare costs
- Rising mortality rates
- Loss of effective first-line antibiotics
Without urgent reform, Nigeria risks becoming a breeding ground for resistant infections that can spread beyond its borders.
The Over-the-Counter Problem
Unregulated access to antibiotics undermines national health security. Weak enforcement of prescription laws, economic barriers to healthcare, and limited public awareness contribute to misuse. While regulatory bodies such as the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and the Federal Ministry of Health have mandates to ensure drug safety and policy implementation, enforcement gaps remain.
This is not a failure of policy alone, it is a failure of coordinated action. Nigeria must:
- Strictly enforce prescription-only antibiotic sales.
- Strengthen inspection and penalties for non-compliant pharmacies and patent medicine vendors.
- Improve access to affordable primary healthcare to reduce self-medication.
- Launch nationwide awareness campaigns on antibiotic misuse.
- Consider delicensing of patent and proprietary medicine vendors (PPMVs)
Rethinking the Treatment of Acute Infections
Antibiotics have long been the default treatment for acute infections—even when not medically necessary. However, not all acute infections require immediate antibiotic therapy. Many viral infections, for example, resolve without them.
To combat resistance, Nigeria must embrace evidence-based alternative strategies.
1. Delayed Antibiotic Prescription
Delayed prescribing allows patients to wait a short period to see if symptoms improve before using antibiotics. This approach reduces unnecessary antibiotic use while maintaining safety.
2. No Antibiotic Prescription When Not Indicated
Healthcare providers must feel supported in choosing not to prescribe antibiotics when they are not clinically necessary. This requires professional guidelines, training, and public education to shift expectations.
3. Shared Decision-Making Tools
Empowering patients through shared decision-making builds trust and understanding. When patients are informed about:
- The difference between bacterial and viral infections
- The risks of antibiotic resistance
- The natural course of certain illnesses
They are more likely to accept alternatives to antibiotics.
Alternative Approaches to Managing Acute Infections
Beyond prescribing practices, Nigeria should invest in:
- Improved diagnostics to distinguish bacterial from viral infections
- Vaccination programs to prevent infection
- Infection prevention and control measures
- Strengthened antimicrobial stewardship programs in hospitals
- Research into non-antibiotic therapies
Alternative treatments and management strategies are not about denying care, they are about providing smarter care.
A National Responsibility
Antibiotic resistance is not just a medical issue. It is:
- A public health emergency
- An economic threat
- A national security concern
Healthcare professionals, policymakers, pharmacists, community leaders, and citizens all share responsibility. Nigeria must:
- Develop and enforce a comprehensive National Action Plan on antimicrobial resistance.
- Integrate antimicrobial stewardship into medical and pharmacy training.
- Support data collection and surveillance systems.
- Collaborate with global health partners to adopt best practices.
The Time to Act is Now
If we continue to ignore the misuse of over-the-counter antibiotics, we risk entering a post-antibiotic era where minor infections become fatal. The cost of inaction will be measured in lives lost, healthcare systems overwhelmed, and economic decline.
But there is hope. By controlling over-the-counter antibiotic sales, promoting alternative treatment approaches, empowering patients, and strengthening national policy enforcement, Nigeria can reverse this dangerous trend. This is a defining moment. Therefore, let us choose responsibility over convenience. Let us choose science over habit. And let us choose sustainable health over short-term relief. Nigeria must act decisively, urgently, and collectively, to safeguard the effectiveness of antibiotics for future generations.
Thank you!