Bioabsorbable substrates having antimicrobial metal ion coatings that are well suited for implantation in to a subject's body to treat and/or prevent infection. In particular, described herein are flexible bioabsorbable filaments that are coated with an anodic metal (e.g., silver and/or zinc and/or copper) that is co-deposited with a cathodic metal (e.g., palladium, platinum, gold, molybdenum, titanium, iridium, osmium, niobium or rhenium) on the filament so that the anodic metal is galvanically released as antimicrobial ions when the apparatus is inserted into a subject's body. The anodic metal may be at least about 30 percent by volume of the coating.