Antibiotic resistance could claim 10m lives annually by 2050 – WAP

World Animal Protection (WAP), an international organisation, has warned that antibiotic resistance could cause up to 10 million deaths globally each year by 2050 if unchecked.

Dr. Patrick Mvinde, WAP’s Research and Planning Manager, gave the warning in Abuja on Thursday during a workshop for journalists organised by the Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF).

The workshop was themed “Implication of Industrial Animal Farming in Nigeria.”

Mvinde noted that 1.27 million people already die annually from infections that fail to respond to antibiotics.

He linked the crisis to industrial farming practices, where large numbers of animals are raised in overcrowded, highly controlled environments.

He explained that about 75 percent of the 80 billion animals reared globally—mostly chickens, pigs, and cattle—are kept in such intensive systems. “Lack of space leads to stress, deformities, and movement problems.

Due to genetic selection, market weight is attained in as few as 40 days in broilers, straining vital organs and causing severe joint pains,” he said.

According to him, nearly three-quarters of all antibiotics used globally are applied in farming, especially in industrial-scale production.

He warned that antibiotic residues from these farms end up in food and the environment, driving resistance in humans.

Mvinde added that zoonotic diseases such as avian influenza, swine flu, and even COVID-19 are linked to factory farming, stressing that smallholder farmers should be supported instead to achieve food security and protect human and environmental health.

Also speaking, Mr. Mayowa Shobo, Programme Manager at HEDA Resource Centre, cautioned against the growing entry of industrial farmers into Africa.

He cited a study across five Nigerian states which revealed adverse impacts on human health, the environment, and socio-cultural life of host communities.

Shobo said industrial farming often requires large-scale land clearing, undermining climate change efforts.

He added that while such farms create jobs, the opportunities are limited, poorly paid, and largely exclude women and vulnerable groups.

“Decisions on land use are often made without genuine consultation, and complaints from affected communities are rarely resolved, leaving them powerless in their homeland,” he said.

He urged government to invest more in health centres, flood control, and early warning systems while protecting smallholder farms through access to seeds, inputs, and secure land rights.