In a study of 800 adults from coastal and inland communities in Accra, Ghana, over half were found to carry bacteria resistant to commonly used antibiotics, with significantly higher rates among coastal residents.
The most concerning resistance (to last-line antibiotics) was found among coastal residents, whilst those who didn’t swim had a lower risk of carrying resistant bacteria.
Genomic analysis revealed that highly resistant bacteria from people and nearby wastewater were nearly identical, pointing to environmental exposure as a likely route of transmission.
These findings show that polluted coastal waters are not just an environmental concern, but a direct public health risk. They underscore the urgent need for a One Health approach, integrating human health, environmental protection, and infrastructure investment, to tackle AMR.
This research (HOTMATS_200006) was funded by the International Centre for Antimicrobial Resistance Solutions (ICARS) under the JPIAMR funding program. Sequencing of bacteria isolates was supported by the SEQAFRICA project with funding from the Fleming Fund.
