Rising cervical cancer and antimicrobial resistance in Nigeria prompt calls for vaccination, screening, and responsible antibiotic use
Researchers at the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR) have sounded the alarm over two preventable public health crises in Nigeria: cervical cancer and antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
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Findings presented at a scientific briefing in Lagos reveal that low awareness, late detection, and unsafe health practices are fuelling avoidable deaths and treatment failures.
Director and Deputy Director-General of NIMR, Oliver Ezechi, stated that cervical cancer continues to claim lives daily despite being preventable.
“By the end of today, 22 Nigerian women would have died from cervical cancer, while 33 others would have been newly infected,” he said.
Cervical cancer is primarily caused by persistent infection with high-risk strains of the human papillomavirus (HPV), notably types 16, 18, and 45. Ezechi highlighted that vaccination is most effective for children under 15 and urged parents not to delay immunisation.
Deputy Director Chika Onwuamah added that self-collected HPV samples are nearly as accurate as clinician-collected ones, a method that could expand screening in rural or culturally conservative communities.
Beyond cervical cancer, NIMR researchers flagged antimicrobial resistance as a growing crisis. Senior Research Fellow Emelda Chukwu described AMR as a global threat capable of reversing decades of progress achieved since the introduction of antibiotics.
Surveillance across four healthcare facilities in Lagos revealed alarming resistance to third-generation cephalosporins, which are typically reserved for severe infections.
“These are reserve antibiotics, so seeing resistance at this level is very concerning,” Chukwu said.
She recommended that hospitals develop facility-specific antibiograms and emphasised the role of both healthcare providers and the public in preventing overuse and misuse of antibiotics.
NIMR also employs wastewater surveillance to monitor epidemic-prone pathogens, including COVID-19 and cholera.
Nine local government areas in Lagos showed evidence of cholera bacteria in wastewater, prompting early warnings that were later validated by the 2024 outbreak.
The researchers stressed that coordinated national action is essential to tackle both cervical cancer and AMR.
Measures include vaccination, routine screening, antimicrobial stewardship, improved sanitation, and public education.
“Vaccinating your daughter against HPV is a gift that can prevent a lifetime of suffering from cervical cancer,” Ezechi said.
Both Ezechi and Chukwu confirmed that NIMR’s research informs national policy discussions and technical working groups advising the Federal Ministry of Health.
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“The science is clear. What we need now is consistent implementation to protect Nigerians from preventable deaths and drug-resistant infections,” Ezechi concluded.
