Kumba Leigh

Story: This story exposes The Gambia’s silent but escalating battle with Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), a public health crisis where once-trusted antibiotics are rapidly losing their effectiveness. Drawing on expert voices and frontline experiences, it reveals how self-medication, poor regulation, substandard drugs, and misuse in both humans and livestock are accelerating resistance. The narrative highlights the fragile realities inside Gambian hospitals, where doctors and nurses struggle with ineffective treatments, rising neonatal deaths, and soaring costs of last-line antibiotics. It also underscores the systemic weaknesses, from inadequate laboratory capacity and data gaps to shortages of trained staff, that leave the country “fighting a war blindfolded.” Yet amid the grim outlook, the story points to emerging solutions: the development of National Treatment Guidelines, regulatory reforms, ongoing construction of advanced laboratories, and calls for evidence-based prescribing. Ultimately, this is a wake-up call to action. AMR is portrayed not only as a medical emergency but also as a social and economic threat. The story makes clear that The Gambia is in a race against time, and that reversing the tide of drug resistance requires a united effort from government, health professionals, regulators, farmers, and citizens alike.

Published in: October 16, 2025