Knowledge of use of antibiotics among consumers in Tanzania

Abstract

Background Studies assessing consumers’ knowledge of the rational use of antibiotics are essential to understand the knowledge gap before intervention strategies are instituted. Objectives To assess the knowledge of rational use of antibiotics among consumers in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Methods A cross-sectional study assessing knowledge of rational use of antibiotics among 960 consumers was conducted in Dar es salaam in March 2021. Participants were consecutively enrolled from outpatient pharmacies in selected public and private hospitals and marketplaces in Ilala Municipality. Data were collected using the WHO-validated questions on knowledge of consumers of antibiotic uses. Results Overall, 196 (20.4%) and 503 (52.4%) participants demonstrated good knowledge of rational antibiotic use and conditions that can be treated with antibiotics, respectively. However, 678 (70.6%) responded that they stopped using antibiotics after dose completion, 515 (53.6%) would request the same antibiotic if it had helped to treat a similar condition in the past and 406 (42.3%) are willing to use the same antibiotic if a friend or family member used the medication previously to treat similar signs and symptoms. Besides, the following conditions were mentioned as being treatable with antibiotics: influenza (50.7%), sore throat (61.4%) and urinary tract infection (60.5%). Conclusions The majority of the consumers had poor knowledge of the rational uses of antibiotics and a moderate proportion had good knowledge of the conditions that are treatable with antibiotics. Those with a high level of education and with health insurance had good knowledge of rational uses of antibiotics.

Antimicrobial stewardship: knowledge, perceptions, and factors associated with antibiotics misuse among consumer’s visiting the community pharmacies in a Nigeria Southwestern State

“…Nonetheless, the irrational use of antibiotics for uncomplicated malaria is setting them up for resistance to bacteria. This is in contrast with a study done by Gabriel et al [32] where 60.5% of respondents correctly believed that malaria is not treatable with antibiotics whereas, in the Northern zone of Tanzania, 68.4% of the participants agreed that antibiotics can be used in the treatment of malaria [19]. Cold, cough, sore throat and catarrh were among the top five ailments for which consumers used antibiotics.…”

“…This is in contrast with a study done by Gabriel et al . [ 32 ] where 60.5% of respondents correctly believed that malaria is not treatable with antibiotics whereas, in the Northern zone of Tanzania, 68.4% of the participants agreed that antibiotics can be used in the treatment of malaria [ 19 ].…”

Education-based grant programmes for bottom-up distance learning and project catalysis: Antimicrobial Resistance in Sub-Saharan Africa

“…Datasets collected were made available to their AMR National Coordinating Centre (NCC) in an effort towards overcoming the current knowledge and fragmented data gap. Gains made by countries in Europe in the fight against Antimicrobial Resistance have largely been due to the availability of data at several levels and education which is mostly absent in LMICs (8). Therefore, in the face of growing global health threats, where individualism is a danger to gains made, LMICs particularly those in Africa are optimistic about initiatives that aid their developmental agenda in strengthening existing but weak or non-existent infrastructure to tackle health threats like AMR.…”

“Arming half-baked people with weapons!” Information enclaving among professionals and the need for a care-centred model for antibiotic use information in Uganda, Tanzania and Malawi

“…Whilst policies and regulations may be in place to restrict antimicrobial access in many LMICs, antibiotics – one particular group of antimicrobials of current concern for resistance – are often accessed readily over the counter without prescriptions [ 9–11 ]. At the same time, information about the use of antibiotics among end users is limited [ 12 , 13 ]. Interventions conducted in Mali, Kenya, Tanzania and England have reported potentially positive impacts of providing medicine use information to end users, suggesting that provision of targeted information through simple strategies such as leaflets can result in the safe use of medicines [ 14–17 ].…”