A report of Kabul internet users on self-medication with over-the-counter medicines.

Self-medication (SM) with over-the-counter (OTC) medications is a prevalent issue in Afghanistan, largely due to poverty, illiteracy, and limited access to healthcare facilities. To better understand the problem, a cross-sectional online survey was conducted using a convenience sampling method based on the availability and accessibility of participants from various parts of the city. Descriptive analysis was used to determine frequency and percentage, and the chi-square test was used to identify any associations. The study found that of the 391 respondents, 75.2% were male, and 69.6% worked in non-health fields. Participants cited cost, convenience, and perceived effectiveness as the main reasons for choosing OTC medications. The study also found that 65.2% of participants had good knowledge of OTC medications, with 96.2% correctly recognizing that OTC medications require a prescription, and 93.6% understanding that long-term use of OTC drugs can have side effects. Educational level and occupation were significantly associated with good knowledge, while only educational level was associated with a good attitude towards OTC medications (p < 0.001). Despite having good knowledge of OTC drugs, participants reported a poor attitude towards their use. Overall, the study highlights the need for greater education and awareness about the appropriate use of OTC medications in Kabul, Afghanistan.

Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices Toward Tuberculosis Among Hospital Outpatients in Kabul, Afghanistan.

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) is a high-burden respiratory infectious disease. There was a sharp decline in the number of confirmed TB cases during the pandemic; this is likely to be influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic response, with under-reporting due to resource diversion. There are typically 13,000 tuberculosis-associated deaths in Afghanistan annually, with significant problems posed by drug-resistant TB. Method: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted in Afghanistan on Kabul residents who visited the adult outpatient departments of public hospitals for any health-related reason from 1st January to 20th March 2022. The study scored their knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAP) toward tuberculosis. The sample size was calculated using Epi-Info, and the minimum sample size was 385. The sampling method is chosen the non-probability convenient sampling for data gathering. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 28, and we used the Mann-Whitney test, Chi-square or fisher extract test, spearman correlations, and binary logistic regression model. Results: Of 829 participants, 450 (54.3%) were males and 379 (45.7) females. The median age was 28 years, and 63.3% were married. Most participants were unemployed (75.5%), but 54% had a monthly income >3,000 Afghanis, indicating the reliance on family. By TB knowledge score, 727 (87.7%) participants had good knowledge, and 800 (96.5%) participants had a positive attitude toward treatment and control. Only 2 participants reported poor practices regarding prevention. Regarding the binary logistic regression, young age, being a male, belonging to the "1,000-3,000" Afghani monthly income category, and having a positive attitude were significant predictors of good TB knowledge (P-value = 0.009, 0.000, 0.003, and 0.009), respectively. A positive attitude was expected to have good knowledge 6.035 times more than a negative attitude (95% CI: 1.572-23.167). Conclusion: The study findings highlighted that outpatients in Kabul had good knowledge, attitude, and practice toward TB. More studies are needed to highlight KAP in different Afghan populations, including in other parts of the country.