Audit of antibiotic utilization patterns and practice for common eye infections at the ambulatory clinic of a teaching hospital in Ghana: Findings and implications.

BACKGROUND: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a serious public health issue which is exacerbated by increased inappropriate use of antibiotics for common eye infections. This cross sectional survey was to assess the appropriate use of antibiotics for eye infections in an ambulatory clinic in Ghana and possible determinants. METHOD: The medical records of all patients who sought eye care between January 2022 to December 2022 and were prescribed antibiotics were extracted from the hospital's electronic database. Descriptive, bivariate and multivariate analyses were then conducted. RESULTS: A total of 1925 patient medical records were extracted, whose median age was 40 years (IQR 26-69), and were mostly females (58.91%, n = 1134/1925). The eye condition commonly treated with antibiotics was bacteria conjunctivitis (33.51%, n = 645/1925). The most prescribed antibiotic was gentamycin (22.96%, n = 442/1925) followed by ciprofloxacin (16.78%, n = 321/1925). These were mostly topical dosage forms (82.13%, n = 1581/1925). Systemic antibiotics prescribed were mostly from the WHO 'Access' class (83.33%, n = 280/338). The appropriate choice of antibiotic prescribed was 42.44% (n = 817/1925) and this was positivity associated with age (p<0.001), number of antibiotics prescribed (p <0.001), the prescription of topical dosage forms (p <0.001), and WHO 'Access' antibiotic class (p <0.034). CONCLUSION: The level of appropriateness of antibiotic prescriptions for eye infections was sub-optimal. Antimicrobial stewardship programs, including prescriber education on guidelines and prescription audit to address associated factors, must now be instigated in this hospital to improve future antibiotic use and prevent the rise of AMR.

An Assessment of the Current Level of Implementation of the Core Elements of Antimicrobial Stewardship Programs in Public Hospitals in Ghana.

Introduction: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is becoming a threat to global public health. Antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) program (ASP) is one of the 5 strategic areas in the Ghana National Action Plan to fight this menace. Assessment of the core elements of ASP in a hospital setting has been identified as a pragmatic way of identifying the barriers and facilitators for its effective implementation. Method: The World Health Organization's toolkit for assessment of the 7 core elements of ASP in hospitals in low and middle income countries was used for this situational analysis of public hospitals in 2 regions of Ghana. The core elements included leadership commitment, accountability and responsibility, pharmacy expertize, AMS actions and interventions, education and training, and periodic monitoring and surveillance. Data collected using a checklist were imported into STATA version 14 for descriptive and bivariate analyses. Results: 15 public hospitals were assessed with the toolkit. Most of them were primary health care facilities (n = 12, 80.0%), had bed capacities between 100 and 199 beds, less than 50 medical doctors (n = 12, 80.0%), less than 5 pharmacists (n = 10, 66.7%), and between 100 and 199 nurses. Performances in 4 out of the 7 core elements were most deficient and they included leadership commitment, pharmacy expertize, AMS actions (interventions) implemented, monitoring and surveillance of antibiotic use, and bacteria resistance rates. Pharmacist-led ASPs were also found to be associated with their formal training on AMS. Key barriers identified included lack of skilled human resources, lack of available time for AMS-related duties and poor laboratory infrastructure. Conclusion: There was sub-optimal performance for almost all the core elements of ASP in the public hospitals in Ghana hampered mostly by lack of skilled human and financial resources. Pharmacists must be empowered through formal training and certificate programs in infectious disease management and AMS principles and strategies to enhance their contribution toward ASPs in hospitals. The results from this study should encourage nationwide assessment of ASPs across hospital settings in Ghana to better evaluate the level of their implementation and address potential barriers to guide AMS policies and ASP strategy development toward the fight against AMR.

A Multicenter Cross-Sectional Survey of Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices of Healthcare Professionals towards Antimicrobial Stewardship in Ghana: Findings and Implications.

Antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) programs are part of the key activities that contribute to reducing antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Good knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) among healthcare professionals (HCPs) are essential to improving future antimicrobial use and reducing AMR, which is a priority in Ghana. A multicenter cross-sectional survey was conducted in six public hospitals in Ghana among key HCPs to assess their level of KAP towards AMS using a validated self-administered electronic questionnaire. Data analyses included descriptive and inferential statistics using STATA version 14. Overall, 339 out of 355 HCPs responded to the questionnaire, giving a response rate of 95.5%. Most responders were nurses (n = 256, 78.2%), followed by medical doctors (n = 45, 13.3%). The study recorded both poor knowledge (8.9%) and practice levels (35.4%), as well as a good attitude (78.8%) towards AMS. Ongoing exposure to AMS structured training, exposure to continuous professional development training on AMS in the previous year, and the number of years of working experience were predictors of the HCPs' level of knowledge (aOR = 3.02 C.I = 1.12-8.11), attitude (aOR = 0.37 C.I = 0.20-0.69) and practice (aOR = 2.09 C.I =1.09-3.99), respectively. Consequently, concentrated efforts must be made to address current low levels of knowledge and poor practices regarding AMS among HCPs in Ghana as part of ongoing strategies in the National Action Plan to reduce AMR.

Current rates of purchasing of antibiotics without a prescription across sub-Saharan Africa; rationale and potential programmes to reduce inappropriate dispensing and resistance.

INTRODUCTION: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global concern. Currently, the greatest mortality due to AMR is in Africa. A key driver continues to be high levels of dispensing of antibiotics without a prescription. AREAS COVERED: A need to document current rates of dispensing, their rationale and potential ways forward including antimicrobial stewardship programmes (ASPs). A narrative review was undertaken. The highest rates of antibiotic purchasing were in Eritrea (up to 89.2% of antibiotics dispensed), Ethiopia (up to 87.9%), Nigeria (up to 86.5%), Tanzania (up to 92.3%) and Zambia (up to 100% of pharmacies dispensing antibiotics without a prescription). However, considerable variation was seen with no dispensing in a minority of countries and situations. Key drivers of self-purchasing included high co-payment levels for physician consultations and antibiotic costs, travel costs, convenience of pharmacies, patient requests, limited knowledge of antibiotics and AMR and weak enforcement. ASPs have been introduced in some African countries along with quality targets to reduce inappropriate dispensing, centering on educating pharmacists and patients. EXPERT OPINION: ASP activities need accelerating among community pharmacies alongside quality targets, with greater monitoring of pharmacists' activities to reduce inappropriate dispensing. Such activities, alongside educating patients and healthcare professionals, should enhance appropriate dispensing of antibiotics and reduce AMR.

Antibiotic Susceptibility Surveillance in the Punjab Province of Pakistan: Findings and Implications.

Background and Objectives: The increase in antimicrobial resistance (AMR) across countries has seriously impacted the effective management of infectious diseases, with subsequent impact on morbidity, mortality and costs. This includes Pakistan. Antimicrobial surveillance activities should be mandatory to continually assess the extent of multidrug-resistant bacteria and the implications for future empiric prescribing. The objective of this retrospective observational study was to monitor the susceptibility pattern of microbes in Pakistan. Materials and Methods: Clinical samples from seven laboratories in Punjab, Pakistan were collected between January 2018 and April 2019, with Punjab being the most populous province in Pakistan. The isolates were identified and their antimicrobial susceptibility was tested using the Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion assay and micro broth dilution methods. The antibiotics assessed were those typically prescribed in Pakistan. Results: In total, 2523 bacterial cultural reports were studied. The most frequently isolated pathogens were Staphylococcus aureus (866, 34.3%), followed by Escherichia coli (814, 32.2%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (454, 18.0%) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (269, 10.7%). Most pathogens were isolated from pus (1464, 58.0%), followed by urine (718, 28.5%), blood (164, 6.5%) and sputum (81, 3.2%). Conclusions: The findings suggest that current antimicrobial options are severally restricted in Pakistan due to the emergence of multidrug-resistant pathogens. This calls for urgent actions including initiating antimicrobial stewardship programs to enhance prudent prescribing of antibiotics. This includes agreeing on appropriate empiric therapy as part of agreed guidelines, in line with the WHO EML and AWaRe book, whilst awaiting culture reports. This is alongside other measures to reduce inappropriate antimicrobial prescribing and reverse the threat of rising AMR.

Assessment of the quality of antimicrobial prescribing among hospitalized patients in a teaching hospital in Ghana: findings and implications.

OBJECTIVE: There is a need to assess the quality of antimicrobial prescribing in hospitals as a first step toward improving future prescribing to reduce antimicrobial resistance (AMR). This is in line with Ghana's National Action Plan. METHODS: A point prevalence survey of antimicrobial use was undertaken at the adult medical, surgical, and pediatric wards of Tamale Teaching Hospital using the standardized Global Point Prevalence Survey (GPPS) tool. Key target areas include adherence to current guidelines, limiting the prescribing of 'Watch' antibiotics with their greater resistance potential, and limiting the prescribing of antibiotics post-operatively to prevent surgical site infections (SSIs). RESULTS: Out of 217 patients' medical records assessed, 155 (71.4%) patients were prescribed antimicrobials. The rates were similar among children (73.9%) and adults (70.3%). Most of the antibiotics prescribed were in the WHO 'Watch' group (71.0%) followed by those in the 'Access' group (29%). Out of the 23 cases indicated for surgical antimicrobial prophylaxis to prevent SSIs, the majority (69.6%) were given doses for more than 1 day, with none receiving a single dose. This needs addressing to reduce AMR and costs. Guideline compliance with the current Ghanaian Standard Treatment Guidelines (GSTG) for managing infections was also low (28.7%). The type of indication was the only independent predictor of guideline compliance (aOR = 0.013 CI 0.001-0.127, p-value = 0.001). CONCLUSION: Given current concerns with antimicrobial prescribing in this hospital, deliberate efforts must be made to improve the appropriateness of prescribing to reduce AMR via targeted antimicrobial stewardship programs.

Current Antibiotic Use Among Hospitals in the sub-Saharan Africa Region; Findings and Implications.

Background: The rapid rise in antimicrobial resistance (AMR) globally, impacting on morbidity, mortality and costs with sub-Saharan African countries reporting the greatest burden is a concern. Instigation of antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) can improve antibiotic use in hospitals and reduce AMR. Implementing ASPs requires knowledge of antibiotic utilization against agreed quality indicators with the data obtained from point prevalence surveys (PPS), hence the need to document antibiotic utilization patterns in sub-Saharan Africa. Methods: A narrative review to document current utilization patterns, challenges, indicators and ASPs across sub-Saharan Africa based on previous reviews by the authors, supplemented by the considerable knowledge and experience of the co-authors. Results: Results from multiple PPS studies showed a high prevalence of antibiotic use among hospitals, mostly over 50%. Prevalence rates ranged from as low as 37.7% in South Africa to as high as 80.1% in Nigeria. There was also considerable prescribing of broad-spectrum antibiotics which could be due to lack of facilities within hospitals, alongside concerns with co-payments to perform microbiological tests, resulting in empiric prescribing. This is a concern alongside lack of guidelines or adherence to guidelines, which was as low as 4% in one study. Another concern was the high rates of extended prophylaxis to prevent surgical site infections (SSIs), with antibiotics often prescribed for longer than 24 hours, usually multiple doses. Several quality indicators have been used to evaluate antibiotic utilization providing exemplars for the future. Among the initiatives being instigated to improve antibiotic use, ASPs have proved effective. For ASPs to be successful objectives and indicators must be agreed, and regular audits undertaken. Conclusion: Antibiotic prescribing across Africa is characterised by high prevalence, usually empirical. Various prescribing and quality indicators are being employed to assess antibiotic use, and ASPs have shown to improve antibiotic prescribing providing direction to reduce AMR.

Assessing the Clinical Characteristics and Management of COVID-19 among Pediatric Patients in Ghana: Findings and Implications.

There is an increasing focus across countries on researching the management of children admitted to hospital with COVID-19. This stems from an increasing prevalence due to new variants, combined with concerns with the overuse of antimicrobials driving up resistance rates. Standard treatment guidelines (STGs) have been produced in Ghana to improve their care. Consequently, there is a need to document the clinical characteristics of children diagnosed and admitted with COVID-19 to our hospital in Ghana, factors influencing compliance to the STG and treatment outcomes. In all, 201 patients were surveyed between March 2020 and December 2021, with males accounting for 51.7% of surveyed children. Those aged between 6 and 10 years were the largest group (44.8%). Nasal congestion and fever were some of the commonest presenting complaints, while pneumonia was the commonest (80.6%) COVID-19 complication. In all, 80.0% of all admissions were discharged with no untreated complications, with a 10.9% mortality rate. A combination of azithromycin and hydroxychloroquine (41.29%) was the most prescribed antimicrobial regimen. Compliance to the STG was variable (68.2% compliance). Increased compliance was associated with a sore throat as a presenting symptom. Mortality increased following transfer to the ICU. However, current recommendations to prescribe antimicrobials without demonstrable bacterial or fungal infections needs changing to reduce future resistance. These are areas to address in the future.

Evaluation of Healthcare Students' Knowledge on Antibiotic Use, Antimicrobial Resistance and Antimicrobial Stewardship Programs and Associated Factors in a Tertiary University in Ghana: Findings and Implications.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a major public health problem globally, and Ghana is no exception. Good knowledge regarding antibiotic use, AMR, and the concept of antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) is critical among healthcare students to curb rising AMR rates in the future. Consequently, a need to ascertain this. A cross-sectional survey was undertaken among fifth-year pharmacy, medical students and fourth (final)-year nursing and physician assistantship students at the University of Health and Allied Sciences in Ghana to assess their knowledge on antibiotic use, AMR and AMS using a web-based self-administered structured questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, Fishers' exact test, and multiple logistic regression analyses were performed. A total of 160 healthcare students were interviewed, of which 56.3% (n = 90) were male and 58.8% (n = 94) were in their fourth year of study. Good knowledge of antibiotic use, AMR, and AMS was associated with the study course (p = 0.001) and the number of years of study (p < 0.001). Overall, there were differences in the level of knowledge of antibiotics among the different healthcare students and their years of study. Efforts must now be made to enhance the curricula to ensure an improved and uniform transfer of knowledge of antibiotics, AMR, and AMS among the different healthcare students to sustain the fight against AMR in Ghana given growing concerns.

Ongoing Efforts to Improve Antimicrobial Utilization in Hospitals among African Countries and Implications for the Future.

There are serious concerns with rising antimicrobial resistance (AMR) across countries increasing morbidity, mortality and costs. These concerns have resulted in a plethora of initiatives globally and nationally including national action plans (NAPs) to reduce AMR. Africa is no exception, especially with the highest rates of AMR globally. Key activities in NAPs include gaining a greater understanding of current antimicrobial utilization patterns through point prevalence surveys (PPS) and subsequently instigating antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs). Consequently, there is a need to comprehensively document current utilization patterns among hospitals across Africa coupled with ASP studies. In total, 33 PPS studies ranging from single up to 18 hospitals were documented from a narrative review with typically over 50% of in-patients prescribed antimicrobials, up to 97.6% in Nigeria. The penicillins, ceftriaxone and metronidazole, were the most prescribed antibiotics. Appreciable extended prescribing of antibiotics up to 6 days or more post-operatively was seen across Africa to prevent surgical site infections. At least 19 ASPs have been instigated across Africa in recent years to improve future prescribing utilizing a range of prescribing indicators. The various findings resulted in a range of suggested activities that key stakeholders, including governments and healthcare professionals, should undertake in the short, medium and long term to improve future antimicrobial prescribing and reduce AMR across Africa.

Key Considerations From a Health Authority Perspective When Proton Pump Inhibitors Are Used to Treat Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) and Their Implications.

The growing prevalence of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) needs to be carefully managed to relieve the symptoms and prevent complications. Complications of GERD can include erosive esophagitis, Barrett's esophagus and gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding. Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are typically first-line treatment for GERD alongside lifestyle changes in view of their effectiveness and cost-effectiveness. However, there are concerns with adherence to dosing regimens and recommended lifestyle changes reducing their effectiveness. There are also concerns about potential complications from chronic high-dose PPIs. These include an increased risk of chronic kidney disease, cardiovascular events and infections. Recommendations to physicians include prescribing or dispensing the lowest dose of PPI for the shortest time, with ongoing patient monitoring. Activities among community pharmacists and others have resulted in increased dispensing of PPIs without a prescription, which can be a challenge. PPIs are among the most prescribed and dispensed medicines in view of their effectiveness in managing GERD. However, there are concerns with the doses prescribed and dispensed as well as adherence to lifestyle advice. These issues and challenges need to be addressed by health authorities to maximize the role and value of PPIs.

Appropriateness of surgical antimicrobial prophylaxis in a teaching hospital in Ghana: findings and implications.

Background: Surgical site infections (SSIs) are among the most common infections seen in hospitalized patients in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), accounting for up to 60% of hospital-acquired infections. Surgical antimicrobial prophylaxis (SAP) has shown to be an effective intervention for reducing SSIs and their impact. There are concerns of inappropriate use of SAP in Ghana and therefore our audit in this teaching hospital. Methods: A retrospective cross sectional clinical audit of medical records of patients undergoing surgery over a 5 month duration from January to May 2021 in Ho Teaching Hospital. A data collection form was designed to collect key information including the age and gender of patients, type and duration of surgery, choice and duration of SAP. The collected data was assessed for the proportion of SAP compliance with Ghana Standard Treatment Guidelines (STGs) and any association with various patient, surgical wound and drug characteristics. Results: Of the 597 medical records assessed, the mean age of patients was 35.6 ±â€Š12.2 years with 86.8% (n = 518) female. Overall SAP compliance with the STG was 2.5% (n = 15). SAP compliance due to appropriate choice of antimicrobials was 67.0% (n = 400) and duration at 8.7% (n = 52). SAP compliance was predicted by duration of SAP (P < 0.000) and postoperative hospitalization duration (P = 0.005). Conclusions: SAP compliance rate was suboptimal, principally due to a longer duration of prescription. Quality improvement measures such as education of front-line staff on guideline compliance, coupled with clinical audit and regular updates, are urgently needed to combat inappropriate prescribing and rising resistance rates.

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic across Africa: Current Status of Vaccinations and Implications for the Future.

The introduction of effective vaccines in December 2020 marked a significant step forward in the global response to COVID-19. Given concerns with access, acceptability, and hesitancy across Africa, there is a need to describe the current status of vaccine uptake in the continent. An exploratory study was undertaken to investigate these aspects, current challenges, and lessons learnt across Africa to provide future direction. Senior personnel across 14 African countries completed a self-administered questionnaire, with a descriptive analysis of the data. Vaccine roll-out commenced in March 2021 in most countries. COVID-19 vaccination coverage varied from low in Cameroon and Tanzania and up to 39.85% full coverage in Botswana at the end of 2021; that is, all doses advocated by initial protocols versus the total population, with rates increasing to 58.4% in Botswana by the end of June 2022. The greatest increase in people being fully vaccinated was observed in Uganda (20.4% increase), Botswana (18.5% increase), and Zambia (17.9% increase). Most vaccines were obtained through WHO-COVAX agreements. Initially, vaccination was prioritised for healthcare workers (HCWs), the elderly, adults with co-morbidities, and other at-risk groups, with countries now commencing vaccination among children and administering booster doses. Challenges included irregular supply and considerable hesitancy arising from misinformation fuelled by social media activities. Overall, there was fair to reasonable access to vaccination across countries, enhanced by government initiatives. Vaccine hesitancy must be addressed with context-specific interventions, including proactive programmes among HCWs, medical journalists, and the public.

Exploring the Use of Antibiotics for Dental Patients in a Middle-Income Country: Interviews with Clinicians in Two Ghanaian Hospitals.

BACKGROUND: Antimicrobial resistance is a global problem driven by the overuse of antibiotics. Dentists are responsible for about 10% of antibiotics usage across healthcare worldwide. Factors influencing dental antibiotic prescribing are numerous, with some differences in low- and middle-income countries compared with high-income countries. This study aimed to explore the antibiotic prescribing behaviour and knowledge of teams treating dental patients in two Ghanaian hospitals. METHODS: Qualitative interviews were undertaken with dentists, pharmacists, and other healthcare team members at two hospitals in urban and rural locations. Thematic and behaviour analyses using the Actor, Action, Context, Target, Time framework were undertaken. RESULTS: Knowledge about 'antimicrobial resistance and antibiotic stewardship' and 'people and places' were identified themes. Influences on dental prescribing decisions related to the organisational context (such as the hierarchical influence of colleagues and availability of specific antibiotics in the hospital setting), clinical issues (such as therapeutic versus prophylactic indications and availability of sterile dental instruments), and patient issues such as hygiene in the home environment, delays in seeking professional help, ability to access antibiotics in the community without a prescription and patient's ability to pay for the complete prescription. CONCLUSIONS: This work provides new evidence on behavioural factors influencing dental antibiotic prescribing, including resource constraints which affect the availability of certain antibiotics and diagnostic tests. Further research is required to fully understand their influence and inform the development of new approaches to optimising antibiotic use by dentists in Ghana and potentially other low- and middle-income countries.

Characteristics and Management of Children With Suspected COVID-19 Admitted to Hospitals in India: Implications for Future Care.

INTRODUCTION: There is a growing focus on researching the management of children with COVID-19 admitted to hospital, especially among developing countries with new variants alongside concerns with the overuse of antibiotics. Patient care can be improved with guidelines, but concerns with the continued imprudent prescribing of antimicrobials, including antibiotics, antivirals, and antimalarials. OBJECTIVE: Consequently, a need to document the current management of children with COVID-19 across India. Key outcome measures included the percentage of prescribed antimicrobials, adherence to current guidelines, and mortality. METHODOLOGY: A point prevalence study using specially developed report forms among 30 hospitals in India. RESULTS: The majority of admitted children were aged between 11 and 18 years (70%) and boys (65.8%). Reasons for admission included respiratory distress, breathing difficulties, and prolonged fever. 75.3% were prescribed antibiotics typically empirically (68.3% overall), with most on the Watch list (76.7%). There were no differences in antibiotic prescribing whether hospitals followed guidelines or not. There was also appreciable prescribing of antimalarials (21.4% of children), antivirals (15.2%), and antiparasitic medicines (27.2%) despite limited evidence. The majority of children (92.2%) made a full recovery. CONCLUSION: It was encouraging to see low hospitalization rates. However, concerns about high empiric use of antibiotics and high use of antimalarials, antivirals, and antiparasitic medicines exist. These can be addressed by instigating appropriate stewardship programs.

Evaluation of antibiotic prescribing for ambulatory patients seeking primary dental care services in a public hospital in Ghana: a clinical audit study.

Background: One in 10 of all antibiotic prescriptions globally are for dental conditions with 80% of them being inappropriate, making it a potential driver of antimicrobial resistance. Objectives: To evaluate the appropriateness of antibiotic use among ambulatory patients seeking dental care services in a public hospital in Ghana. Methods: A retrospective clinical audit was conducted by extracting the medical records of all patients seeking dental care at the ambulatory care clinic of Keta Municipal Hospital (KMH) from January 2020 to December 2020 using the hospital's electronic database. Descriptive statistics, bivariate and multivariate analysis were performed on the data collected. Results: Overall, 1433 patient medical records were extracted from the database within the study period. The mean age of the patients identified was 39.9 years with almost two-thirds being female. The majority (91.1%, n = 1306) of them were attended to by a dental nurse. In total, 88.6% (n = 1269) of the patients received antibiotics and 87.5% (n = 1254) of antibiotics prescribed were non-compliant with Ghana Standard Treatment Guidelines. Three-quarters of the dental conditions were managed with dual antibiotics comprising amoxicillin and metronidazole. Antibiotic prescription was associated with age, gender, type of prescriber and type of dental condition diagnosed. Conclusions: There is a high usage of antibiotics for dental conditions managed at the outpatient section of the hospital and most are inappropriate. Development of local guidelines supported by education of dental clinicians on empirical use of antibiotics is a suitable target for the antimicrobial stewardship team to address in KMH.

Tackling antimicrobial resistance across sub-Saharan Africa: current challenges and implications for the future.

INTRODUCTION: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a concern as this increases morbidity, mortality, and costs, with sub-Saharan Africa having the highest rates globally. Concerns with rising AMR have resulted in international, Pan-African, and country activities including the development of national action plans (NAPs). However, there is variable implementation across Africa with key challenges persisting. AREAS COVERED: Consequently, there is an urgent need to document current NAP activities and challenges across sub-Saharan Africa to provide future guidance. This builds on a narrative review of the literature. EXPERT OPINION: All surveyed sub-Saharan African countries have developed their NAPs; however, there is variable implementation. Countries including Botswana and Namibia are yet to officially launch their NAPs with Eswatini only recently launching its NAP. Cameroon is further ahead with its NAP than these countries; though there are concerns with implementation. South Africa appears to have made the greatest strides with implementing its NAP including regular monitoring of activities and instigation of antimicrobial stewardship programs. Key challenges remain across Africa. These include available personnel, expertise, capacity, and resources to undertake agreed NAP activities including active surveillance, lack of focal points to drive NAPs, and competing demands and priorities including among donors. These challenges are being addressed, with further co-ordinated efforts needed to reduce AMR.

Barriers and facilitators of adherence to antiretroviral treatment at a public health facility in Ghana: a mixed method study.

BACKGROUND: HIV/AIDS is a disease of global public health concern with high morbidity and mortality rates. Poor adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) increases the risk of viral drug resistance and reduces treatment effectiveness toward viral suppression leading to disease progression, greater risk of death, and increased risk of viral transmission. The study sought to assess current adherence levels to ART among patients in Ghana, exploring barriers and enablers of adherence to it, to provide future guidance to all key stakeholder groups. METHOD: A mixed method approach was used comprising a cross-sectional survey of patients followed by a focused group discussion with patients and an in-depth interview of four key health professionals working in the ART clinic of Atua Government Hospital, a primary care health facility in the Eastern Region of Ghana. A structured questionnaire was used to assess current adherence levels and their determinants among 231 randomly selected patients attending the clinic between July to September, 2019. Quantitative data were analyzed using bivariate and multivariate methods while qualitative data were analyzed using thematic framework approach. RESULTS: Adherence levels were found to be 42.9% among our study population. Lower adherence to ART was associated with patients' belief in herbal medicine (aOR = 0.34 CI: 0.19-0.61). Other barriers identified from the qualitative analysis included low motivation arising from pill fatigue, forgetfulness, frequent stock out of medicines, long waiting times, and worrying side-effects; while enablers, on the other hand, included measures that ensure improved assessment of adherence and health facility-related activities that improve patient satisfaction with ART services. Conclusion: Adherence to ART among patients living with HIV was suboptimal in our study population. Understanding of the barriers and factors that enable adherence to ART is a key step to developing evidence-based adherence improvement strategies to enhance clinical outcomes.

Challenges and Innovations Brought about by the COVID-19 Pandemic Regarding Medical and Pharmacy Education Especially in Africa and Implications for the Future.

BACKGROUND: Multiple measures introduced early to restrict COVID-19 have dramatically impacted the teaching of medical and pharmacy students, exacerbated by the lack of infrastructure and experience with e-learning at the start of the pandemic. In addition, the costs and reliability of the Internet across Africa pose challenges alongside undertaking clinical teaching and practical programmes. Consequently, there is a need to understand the many challenges and how these were addressed, given increasingly complex patients, to provide future direction. METHOD: An exploratory study was conducted among senior-level medical and pharmacy educators across Africa, addressing four key questions, including the challenges resulting from the pandemic and how these were dealt with. RESULTS: Staff and student members faced multiple challenges initially, including adapting to online learning. In addition, concerns with the lack of equipment (especially among disadvantaged students), the costs of Internet bundles, and how to conduct practicals and clinical teaching. Multiple activities were undertaken to address these challenges. These included training sessions, developing innovative approaches to teaching, and seeking ways to reduce Internet costs. Robust approaches to practicals, clinical teaching, and assessments have been developed. CONCLUSIONS: Appreciable difficulties to teaching arising from the pandemic are being addressed across Africa. Research is ongoing to improve education and assessments.

Antibiotic Prescribing Patterns in Ghana, Uganda, Zambia and Tanzania Hospitals: Results from the Global Point Prevalence Survey (G-PPS) on Antimicrobial Use and Stewardship Interventions Implemented.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) remains an important global public health issue with antimicrobial misuse and overuse being one of the main drivers. The Global Point Prevalence Survey (G-PPS) of Antimicrobial Consumption and Resistance assesses the prevalence and the quality of antimicrobial prescriptions across hospitals globally. G-PPS was carried out at 17 hospitals across Ghana, Uganda, Zambia and Tanzania. The overall prevalence of antimicrobial use was 50% (30-57%), with most antibiotics prescribed belonging to the WHO 'Access' and 'Watch' categories. No 'Reserve' category of antibiotics was prescribed across the study sites while antimicrobials belonging to the 'Not Recommended' group were prescribed infrequently. Antimicrobials were most often prescribed for prophylaxis for obstetric or gynaecological surgery, making up between 12 and 18% of total prescriptions across all countries. The most prescribed therapeutic subgroup of antimicrobials was 'Antibacterials for systemic use'. As a result of the programme, PPS data are now readily available for the first time in the hospitals, strengthening the global commitment to improved antimicrobial surveillance. Antimicrobial stewardship interventions developed included the formation of AMS committees, the provision of training and the preparation of new AMS guidelines. Other common interventions included the presentation of findings to clinicians for increased awareness, and the promotion of a multi-disciplinary approach to successful AMS programmes. Repeat PPS would be necessary to continually monitor the impact of interventions implemented. Broader participation is also encouraged to strengthen the evidence base.