PREMIUM TIMES journalist Mariam Ileyemi has emerged because the third-prize winner within the Nigeria AMR Media Awards (NAMA), recognising her reporting on antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
The NAMA is a nationwide class of the 2026 Global AMR Media Awards (GAMA), which recognises journalists and different media professionals whose work raises consciousness of drug-resistant infections and promotes motion towards the rising public well being risk.
The 2026 awards obtained 382 entries from 4 international areas, with Africa accounting for 193 submissions. Asia-Pacific adopted with 134 entries, whereas Europe and the Americas recorded 28 and 27 entries, respectively. Nigeria submitted 96 entries for the worldwide and nationwide competitions, representing a few quarter of the full submissions.
Ms Ileyemi was recognised for her report analyzing the gender dimensions of AMR, together with how gender-based violence, social inequalities and obstacles to healthcare have an effect on ladies’s publicity to drug-resistant infections and entry to remedy.
In the report, printed in March 2026, she highlighted calls by well being specialists for gender-responsive insurance policies to deal with antimicrobial resistance.
The recognition provides to her reporting on AMR. In November 2024, she collaborated with Nike Adebowale-Tambe, the PREMIUM TIMES Head of Health and Development Desk, on a particular investigation analyzing the experiences of Nigerians affected by drug-resistant infections and the challenges they face when medicines fail.
In the NAMA class, Kazeem Biriowo of Nigerian Tribune gained first prize, whereas Julian Adetinuyo of News Scope Africa got here second.
Seven different journalists obtained particular mentions: Folashade Akpan of the News Agency of Nigeria, Chioma Obinna of Vanguard, Helen Oji Emmanuel of Blueprint, Fatima Saka of DistinctNews, Chinyere Okorafor of Nigeria Health Times, Laide Akinboade of Daily Asset and Odimmegwa John Peter of New Africa Horizon.
The winners within the Nigerian class will obtain certificates and money prizes supported by the Art for Health Initiative, a non-profit organisation.
The awards had been introduced on 11 November throughout the Sixth Global Media Forum on AMR, forward of World Antimicrobial Resistance Awareness Week, noticed yearly from 18 to 24 November.
Nigeria is scheduled to host the Fifth Global High-Level Ministerial Conference on AMR in Abuja from 6 to eight December 2026. The convention, the primary of its form to be held on African soil, is predicted to carry collectively authorities representatives and different stakeholders to strengthen international motion towards antimicrobial resistance.
Other Nigerian winners
Other Nigerian journalists additionally obtained recognition within the international award classes.
In the class for reporting on the Fifth High-Level Ministerial Conference on AMR, Annabel Nwachukwu of the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria gained first prize, adopted by Edward Samuel Ikpete of Voice of Nigeria in second place and Doris Obinna of The Sun in third. Alice Etuka of The Fact Daily obtained a particular point out.
In the People’s Reporting class, Isioma Appiah-Yeboah of Clean Beat Radio gained first prize, Racheal Abujah of NAN gained second, and Helen Shikanda, a Kenyan, got here third. Princess Ekwi-Ajide of the Anambra Broadcasting Service, Smith Nwokocha of Port Harcourt Wakawaka Blog and Chioma Vivian James of True Verdict obtained particular mentions.
Patience Ihejirika of Leadership Newspaper and Benedict Ifeanyi Chukwu of Kaftan TV additionally obtained particular mentions within the Africa class.
The Global AMR Media Awards are organised by the Global AMR Media Alliance, a community of media professionals working to boost consciousness of antimicrobial resistance and promote its visibility inside international well being safety and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Media protection of AMR
Speaking after the announcement, Shobha Shukla, chairperson of the Global AMR Media Alliance, congratulated Nigerian journalists and counseled Ojoma Akor, founding chairperson of the Nigeria AMR Media Alliance, for highlighting the results of AMR and strengthening media efforts to deal with the issue.
Ms Shukla stated AMR was not merely a medical or scientific challenge but in addition a societal and improvement problem that required motion past laboratories and hospitals.
“We need an informed public, accountable governments, and responsible practices across human, animal, and environmental health,” she stated.
She stated the media has the ability to attach these points, amplify the experiences of affected communities and switch public consciousness into motion.
Ms Shukla urged journalists to maneuver past reporting AMR solely as a well being information challenge and assist construct public assist for accountable antimicrobial use and stronger well being methods.
Ms Akor, in her feedback, described the inaugural NAMA awards as an vital milestone for well being and science journalism in Nigeria, noting that AMR had obtained inadequate consideration in newsrooms regardless of its implications for public well being, healthcare supply, meals safety and nationwide improvement.
She stated the awards recognised journalism’s position in making an often-unseen public well being risk seen, translating complicated scientific proof into accessible data, amplifying the experiences of affected communities and holding establishments accountable.
“As an alliance, we remain committed to building the capacity of journalists, encouraging investigative and solutions-oriented reporting, and ensuring that AMR receives the sustained attention it deserves,” she stated.
Chidera Rosecamille Aneke, founding father of the Art for Health Initiative, stated AMR is without doubt one of the organisation’s focal areas and defined that its assist for the NAMA awards was meant to encourage progressive storytelling.
“AMR is one of our organisation’s focal areas, and we are glad to support the NAMA awards to push innovative storytelling to communicate AMR in ways the audience can understand,” she stated.
She stated the initiative works at the intersection of storytelling, media and the humanities to advertise public understanding and motion on essential well being points.
Understanding antimicrobial resistance
Antimicrobial resistance happens when micro organism, viruses, fungi and parasites change over time and now not reply successfully to medicines used to deal with infections. This makes infections more durable to deal with and will increase the danger of extreme sickness and dying.
The drawback impacts human and animal well being, meals manufacturing and the setting, making it a One Health concern.
Nigeria’s National Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance 2024–2028 cites estimates that 64,500 deaths within the nation had been straight attributable to AMR in 2019, whereas 263,400 deaths had been related to it. The nation has additionally acknowledged surveillance gaps that make it troublesome to determine the total scale of drug-resistant infections.
About Mariam Ileyemi
Mariam Ileyemi is a Nigerian journalist on the Health and Development Desk at PREMIUM TIMES. Her reporting covers antimicrobial resistance, illness prevention, and first healthcare.
She was named PREMIUM TIMES Reporter of the Year 2025 and is a fellow of the Africa Health Communications Fellowship and Media-EIS Fellowship, amongst others.
She was lately nominated for the Outstanding Health Investigation Award at the Private Sector Health Alliance of Nigeria (PSHAN) Annual Awards. She can be a recipient of the Mamman Marshall Scholarship for Women in Journalism.
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