BackgroundDespite extensive vaccination efforts, central nervous system (CNS) infections remain a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in the African meningitis belt. This burden is increasingly complicated by the rising antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in pathogens not covered by the available vaccines. We mapped pathogen-specific AMR profiles and diagnostic gaps in CNS bacterial pathogens to inform precise microbiology-based interventions for improved surveillance and empiric therapy in