The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has sounded the alarm over the escalating threat of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), calling it a "silent killer" more deadly than malaria, tuberculosis (TB), and HIV combined. Speaking in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Abuja, NCDC Director General Dr. Jide Idris emphasized the urgent need to address this global health crisis, which remains largely unrecognized by many Nigerians. Idris said, “AMR is a silent killer. It kills more than the combination of malaria, tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS together. The worst thing is that not much is known about it, especially among the public. It has become a global focus. “AMR occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites evolve to resist the effects of medications—making common infections harder to treat and increasing the risk of disease spread, severe illness, and death. “This resistance, while naturally occurring, is significantly accelerated by the misuse and overuse of antibiotics and other antimicrobial agents in humans, animals, and agriculture. “It is unacceptable that most Nigerians don’t know how dangerous AMR is; we must act now,” the DG said. He said that the federal government had stepped up its response and that the country was already working on implementing its National Action Plan on AMR 2.0, which has strategic pillars including Infection Prevention and Control (IPC), antimicrobial stewardship, and financing. “AMR was supposed to be part and parcel of our current health programmes. We are now about to roll out specific programmes targeting AMR. “These efforts will include IPC, antimicrobial stewardship, and sustainable financing—these are critical areas we’re looking at,” he added.