Nairobi — Antibiotic resistance is silently fueling a deadly crisis across Africa, and children are paying the highest price. That was the grim warning delivered in Kenya’s Senate this week by nominated Senator Hamida Kibwana, who is urging the government to act before more lives are lost.
In a statement presented to lawmakers, Senator Kibwana cited recent global data showing that more than 659,000 children across Africa died in 2022 from infections that antibiotics could no longer treat.
“Drug-resistant infections are no longer a distant threat,” she said. “This is a matter of life and death for our children. We are already in a crisis.”
A Broken System
Kibwana pointed to what she called a “dangerous rise” in the misuse of high-risk antibiotics in Kenya, including drugs meant only for severe or life-threatening cases. She blamed the trend on poor regulation, frequent misdiagnosis, and limited access to proper diagnostic testing especially in rural clinics and overstretched public hospitals.
“When antibiotics are given without the right tests or for the wrong reasons, they stop working,” she told the Senate. “And when that happens, even a simple infection can kill.”
Experts have long warned of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), a slow-moving threat that undermines the ability to treat infections, perform surgeries, and protect vulnerable groups especially newborns and young children.
But Kibwana’s comments suggest that the problem has deepened and is now striking harder than many realise.
A National Plan, Stuck on Paper?
Kenya developed a National Action Plan on AMR in 2017, with guidance from the World Health Organization. It was meant to strengthen oversight, encourage responsible use of antibiotics, and boost laboratory testing across the country.
Eight years on, Kibwana is demanding answers about how far the plan has actually gone.
“We want to know what the Ministry of Health is doing,” she said. “Is the national action plan being followed? Are counties getting the support they need?”
The senator called for an update from the ministry, asking whether the plan is actively being implemented and if local health systems are equipped to detect and respond to AMR cases.
Regulation and Awareness
Kibwana’s proposals go beyond asking for reports. She’s urging tighter controls on how antibiotics are prescribed, especially by private pharmacies and clinics, where over-the-counter sales remain common despite rules against it.
She also wants to see stronger diagnostic systems and more public education campaigns.
“People need to understand that not every fever needs antibiotics,” she said. “We must shift our culture before it’s too late.”
The Senate Speaker, Amason Kingi, has approved her request for a formal inquiry. The matter has been handed to the Senate Health Committee for review.
A Continent-wide Warning
While the senator focused on Kenya, her warning echoes concerns across the continent. In low- and middle-income countries, antibiotics are often overused due to gaps in healthcare infrastructure and pressure on doctors to treat quickly, even without lab results.
According to a 2024 report by the Global Antibiotic Research and Development Partnership (GARDP), drug-resistant infections are one of the leading causes of childhood mortality in sub-Saharan Africa. Many of these deaths go unrecorded or are attributed to pneumonia, diarrhoea, or sepsis — without noting that the treatments failed because of resistance.
Dr Esther Mungai, a Nairobi-based paediatrician, said the signs are already visible in local hospitals.
“We’re seeing more and more cases where the first-line antibiotics don’t work,” she said. “It means longer hospital stays, more expensive drugs, and higher risk of death.”
A Crisis with Solutions
Senator Kibwana stressed that AMR is not just a medical issue, but a wider development challenge.
“It affects our economy, our health system, and our future as a nation,” she said. “We cannot ignore it.”
Her remarks have sparked fresh debate in Parliament and drawn attention to a crisis that has been simmering quietly for years.
Now, the question is whether the government will respond or continue to let resistance build in silence.
