NAIROBI, Kenya — The Ministry of Health has sounded the alarm over rising antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in the country, warning that common infections could soon become untreatable if misuse of antibiotics continues.
In a statement released Tuesday, November 18, 2025, the ministry said Kenya is approaching a critical point as essential medicines lose their effectiveness due to widespread misuse and over-reliance on antibiotics without medical guidance.
“Antimicrobials, essential for preventing and treating diseases in humans, animals, and plants, are losing effectiveness, leading to Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR),” the statement read.
Officials cautioned that the threat extends beyond individuals to the wider public, as ineffective drugs allow infections to spread faster and become harder to control.
“When bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites no longer respond to these agents, infections become untreatable, posing severe risks including disease spread, severe illness, and death,” the ministry warned.
Health experts say resistance is accelerating due to practices such as stopping medication prematurely, self-prescribing, and purchasing antibiotics over the counter without proper diagnosis.
These behaviours, they noted, create stronger, drug-resistant strains of disease-causing organisms.
The ministry said the consequences could be dire: longer hospital stays, more expensive treatments, and preventable deaths from illnesses that were once mild or easily managed.
Kenyans were urged to follow prescriptions strictly and avoid unnecessary antibiotic use.
Farmers and veterinarians were also advised to use antibiotics responsibly to prevent resistant bacteria from circulating between animals and humans.
“Slowing AMR requires action from every sector of society. Protecting the effectiveness of these life-saving medicines is essential to ensure infections remain treatable, healthcare costs do not rise, and lives are preserved,” the statement said.
The ministry warned that without urgent collective effort, Kenya risks losing critical treatment options as once-powerful antibiotics continue to fail.
