Youth football tournament in Cameroon highlights Africa's fight against antimicrobial resistance

The football tournament was officiated by the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) Delegate and Director of Veterinary Services of Cameroon, Dr Garga Gonné, as well as Dr Jane Lwoyero, the AMR and Food Safety Officer at WOAH. In his opening remarks, Dr Garga Gonné, echoed the importance of advocacy to the youth on AMR, noting their significance in the global fight against AMR. He emphasised the need for awareness campaigns. “It’s all about raising public awareness. The population is not aware of it, so there is a need to raise public awareness to take this matter up as a major concern.”, he added.

The tournament united young players, health advocates, and officials to raise awareness about AMR, a serious global health threat. The misuse and overuse of antibiotics in humans, animals, and agriculture accelerates AMR, which can render life-saving medications ineffective.

AMR: a threat across Africa 

AMR is a growing challenge in Africa, where limited healthcare infrastructure, high rates of infectious diseases, and widespread misuse of antibiotics exacerbate the problem. It is estimated that by 2050, drug-resistant infections could cause 4.1 million deaths annually across the continent if no action is taken.

The misuse of antibiotics is also prevalent in agriculture, with more than 70 percent of antibiotics in some African countries used in livestock, often without veterinary oversight. This increases the risk of resistant bacteria spreading to humans.

Highlighting the multi-sectoral ‘One Health’ approach to fighting AMR, the youth tournament was jointly organized by six key partners: the African Union’s Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), the African Union’s Inter-African Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH).

Despite these challenges, the event in Yaounde demonstrated how young people can be powerful advocates for change.

The football tournament was more than just a game—it was a call to action to communities across Africa to tackle AMR through awareness, education, and collaboration.

Through teamwork on and off the field, the fight against antimicrobial resistance can save millions of lives.

Educate, Advocate, Act now!