The story of Alabi, Mohammed and Rachel

Story 1 – Alabi

Alabi, the hustler who works day and night to make ends meet. At 29, he overworks himself trying to send money home. He barely sleeps or eats well. During the day, he’s under the scorching sun, doing whatever he can. He comes back to his humble home feeling awful — his head hurts and his stomach bites with pain he can’t understand. He doesn’t have the time or money to go to the hospital, so he calls his mum.

“Mama, I’m not feeling fine o.”

The next day, mama sends him a concentrated herbal concoction in a 150cl plastic bottle — to finish in seven days.

What could go wrong here?

Story 2 – Mohammed

Mohammed, the civil servant who does a good job taking care of his family. Life is going well. He’s just been posted to a new ministry far from home and has to leave as early as 6am to beat traffic.

One morning, hungry and in a hurry, he buys bole and hot sauce from a roadside woman. The place isn’t very clean, but he believes it adds to the taste.

Five hours later, Mohammed is sweating with a fever. On his way home, a bus marketer starts calling out symptoms

“Your body dey do you gbim gbim? Buy Active Charge!”

“You dey sweat and your head dey pain you? Buy Active Charge!”

Mohammed takes the ₦1,200 he has left and buys the antibiotic right there on the bus. He drinks water and starts the medication immediately.

He’s only trying to help himself, right?

Story 3 – Rachel

Rachel, mother of three, housewife and minister of enjoyment. She scrolls through TikTok while making a pot of smoky jollof rice. A woman online “educates” her about infections, says every mother should treat her kids every six months with Augmentin to prevent toilet infections when school resumes.

Rachel immediately calls the driver to buy three packs. When her kids return from school, they find a delicious plate of jollof rice — and a pack of Augmentin beside each plate.

Rachel believes she’s protecting her kids with the right information.

One way or another, I’m sure you see a problem in how they take care of their health. It may sound like a story, but this happens to many Nigerians.

We take the next good-sounding solution we see and act on it

AMR – Antimicrobial Resistance

is a real issue. It happens when germs become resistant to drugs due to misuse or overuse like Alabi, Mohammed and Rachel. When this happens, the medicines no longer work effectively, making infections harder to treat and increasing the risk of death or prolonged illness.

Alabi, Mohammed, and Rachel have all taken the first step in introducing themselves and their families to antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

How Can We Do Better?

1. Seek medical attention when you feel sick.

2. Always take a test in a laboratory to confirm the diagnosis.

3. Take your prescribed medications diligently and complete the dose.

4. Seek proper advice from verified health sources online.

5. Practice good hygiene and make responsible health choices, including what and where you eat.

I hope I’ve helped in educating you about this important issue. Do well to let others know about it and stay safe.

Don’t be like Alabi, Mohammed, or Rachel.

With love from your public health friend,

Gloria — writing as Alabasterbox 💜