Antibiotic knowledge, attitudes and reported practice during pregnancy and six months after birth: a follow- up study in Lao PDR.

BACKGROUND: Antibiotics are important medicines to prevent maternal and child morbidity and mortality. Women's knowledge and attitudes towards antibiotic use influence their practice. When they become mothers, this may be mirrored in the use of antibiotics for their newborn children. The current study aimed to assess knowledge, attitudes, and reported practice of pregnant women regarding antibiotic use and antibiotic resistance as well as their approach towards antibiotic use for their newborn babies. METHODS: This was a follow-up study with data collected via structured interviews between September 2019 and August 2020 in Feuang (rural) and Vangvieng (urban) districts in Vientiane province, Lao PDR. We identified and invited all women attending antenatal care in their third trimester of pregnancy in the selected areas. Using a structured questionnaire at third trimester of pregnancy we captured data on knowledge regarding antibiotic use and resistance. We collected information on attitudes and reported practice at two time points: (i) at third trimester of pregnancy and (ii) 6 months after birth. Univariate analysis and frequency distributions were used to study pattern of responses. Chi-square and Mann-Whitney tests were used to compare categorical and continuous variables respectively. P value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: We surveyed 539 women with a mean age of 25 years. Two oral antibiotics, i) ampicillin and ii) amoxicillin were correctly identified by 68 and 47% of participants respectively. Only 24% of women (19% in Feuang and 29% in Vangvieng) answered correctly that antibiotics are effective against bacterial infections. The most prevalent response was "I don't know" suggesting the questions were challenging. Significantly less women would use antibiotics from a previous illness for their child than for themselves (16% vs 29%), however they would be more willing to use antibiotics for their baby even in case of mild symptoms (29% vs 17% while pregnant). The majority of antibiotics were prescribed by healthcare providers and 46% of children with the common cold received antibiotics. CONCLUSIONS: Women's knowledge was sub-optimal, still, they manifested appropriate attitudes towards antibiotic use during pregnancy and for their child. Nearly half of children received antibiotics for the common cold. There is a need for context adapted programs aiming at improving women's knowledge, as well as healthcare providers, emphasising rational antibiotic prescribing during pregnancy and for children.

Perceptions and reported practices of pregnant women and mothers of children under two years of age regarding antibiotic use and resistance in Vientiane province, Lao PDR: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Understanding pregnant women and mothers' perceptions towards antibiotic use and resistance is essential for appropriate antibiotic use and limiting antibiotic resistance. This study aimed to explore perceptions and reported practices of pregnant women and mothers with children under two years of age regarding correct antibiotic use and antibiotic resistance in Vientiane Province, Lao PDR. METHODS: The study employed an exploratory qualitative research design using focus groups discussions (FGDs). Participants were purposively selected based on: being pregnant at third trimester and attending antenatal care and mothers with children under two years of age, attending the health facility for postpartum visit /vaccinations. Six focus group discussions were conducted in September 2019 with a total of 55 women. The FGDs were transcribed verbatim, data were analyzed first by coding then categorizing the data as we looked for patterns and themes by using the qualitative content analysis. RESULTS: Most participants had some understanding of antibiotics but wrongly believed antibiotics can be used to treat viral disease. Over half of the participants had heard the term "antibiotic resistance", but often believed it was their bodies, not the bacteria that developed antibiotic resistance. During pregnancy and for their infants, women preferred to use antibiotics only when prescribed by a doctor. Outside of pregnancy however, consuming antibiotics without a prescription was commonly reported. Participants wanted more information about the indications for antibiotic use and antibiotic resistance. CONCLUSIONS: More effort is required to increase the level of understanding, and practice of mothers to promote optimal antibiotic use. Mothers' desire to learn more, and their fundamental concern for their children, can be used to promote appropriate antibiotic use. Awareness raising should be complemented by efforts to address other determinants of inappropriate antibiotic use, including educating healthcare workers, and pharmacists and addressing health service determinants that contribute to inappropriate antibiotic use.

Antibiotic use among children under five years with diarrhea in rural communities of Gulu, northern Uganda: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Diarrhea is the second leading cause of mortality in children under 5 years of age globally, and the risk of death increases with practices such as restriction of fluid intake and inappropriate use of antibiotics. We determined the prevalence of antibiotic use in managing diarrhea in children under 5 years of age in rural communities of Gulu district, northern Uganda. METHOD: A cross-sectional study among children under 5 years with diarrhea, from households selected using multi-stage sampling. A researcher administered questionnaire was used to obtain data from caregivers of these children. RESULTS: Of the 856 children recruited, 318 (37.1%, 318/856) had experienced diarrhea, where 263 (82.7%, 263/318) had diarrhea with acute respiratory infections (ARIs), and 55 (17.3%, 55/318) had diarrhea without ARIs. The majority (89.6%, 285/318) of the children had non-bloody diarrhea. A high proportion (82.8%) of the children with non-bloody diarrhea also had ARIs. Bloody diarrhea was reported for 33 (10.4%) children including those with ARIs, and only 6 of these (18.2%) children had bloody diarrhea without ARIs. Of the 318 children with diarrhea, over half (52%, CI: 46-57) were administered antibiotics. Of the 55 children who had diarrhea without ARIs, over a third (38%, CI: 26-51) were administered antibiotics. Similarly, of the 263 children with diarrhea and ARIs, 54% (CI: 48-60) were treated with antibiotics. The determinants of antibiotic use included; children living in peri-urban settings (AOR: 3.41, CI: 1.65-7.08, P = 0.001), getting treatment from health facility (AOR: 1.76, CI: 1.06-2.93, P = 0.029), and having diarrhea with ARIs (AOR: 3.09, CI: 1.49-6.42, P = 0.003). CONCLUSION: Antibiotic use is common among children under 5 years with diarrhea in rural communities of northern Uganda.

The use of antibiotics in the intensive care unit of a tertiary hospital in Malawi.

BACKGROUND: Antibiotic resistance is on the rise. A contributing factor to antibiotic resistance is the misuse of antibiotics in hospitals. The current use of antibiotics in ICUs in Malawi is not well documented and there are no national guidelines for the use of antibiotics in ICUs. The aim of the study was to describe the use of antibiotics in a Malawian ICU. METHODS: A retrospective review of medical records of all admissions to the main ICU in Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital in Blantyre, Malawi, between January 2017 and April 2019. Data were extracted from the ICU patient register on clinical parameters on admission, diagnoses, demographics and antibiotics both prescribed and given for all patients admitted to the ICU. Usage of antibiotics in the ICU and bacterial culture results from samples taken in the ICU and in the peri-ICU period, (from 5 days before ICU admission to 5 days after ICU discharge), were described. RESULTS: Six hundred-and-forty patients had data available on prescribed and received medications and were included in the analyses. Of these, 577 (90.2%) were prescribed, and 522 (81.6%) received an antibiotic in ICU. The most commonly used antibiotics were ceftriaxone, given to 470 (73.4%) of the patients and metronidazole to 354 (55.3%). Three-hundred-and-thirty-three (52.0%) of the patients received more than one type of antibiotic concurrently - ceftriaxone and metronidazole was the most common combination, given to 317 patients. Forty five patients (7.0%) were given different antibiotics sequentially. One-hundred-and-thirty-seven patients (21.4%) had a blood culture done in the peri-ICU period, of which 70 (11.0% of the patients) were done in the ICU. Twenty-five (18.3%) of the peri-ICU cultures were positive and eleven different types of bacteria were grown in the cultures, of which 17.2% were sensitive to ceftriaxone. CONCLUSION: We have found a substantial usage of antibiotics in an ICU in Malawi. Ceftriaxone, the last-line antibiotic in the national treatment guidelines, is commonly used, and bacteria appear to show high levels of resistance to it, although blood culture testing is infrequently used. Structured antibiotic stewardship programs may be useful in all ICUs.

Pretreatment HIV drug resistance predicts accumulation of new mutations in ART-naïve Ugandan children.

AIM: To assess the prevalence of pretreatment drug resistance (PDR) and its association with virologic outcomes after 24 weeks of antiretroviral therapy (ART), within an urban cohort of Ugandan children. METHODS: Prospective observational study. Baseline and 24-week assessments of viral load (VL) and genotypic drug resistance to nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTI) and non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTI) were performed. RESULTS: Ninety-nine ART-naïve children (3-12 years) initiated efavirenz-based ART 2015-2016 and 18/90 (20%) had baseline NRTI/NNRTI associated drug resistance mutations (DRMs). By 24 weeks, 72/93 (77%) children had VL < 40 copies/mL and a total of 23 children had DRMs. Children with PDR accumulated new DRMs with a mean number (SD) of 1.4 (2.35) new mutations compared to 0.26 (0.98) in 67 children with wild-type virus (P = .003). High pretreatment VL and PDR (number of baseline DRMs) predicted viremia (P = .003; P = .023) as well as acquired drug resistance (P = .02; P = .04). CONCLUSION: Pretreatment drug resistance to NNRTI/NRTI was common among ART-naïve Ugandan children and predicted viremia and new resistance mutations after only 24 weeks of efavirenz-based therapy. PDR may compromise long-term ART outcomes-especially when access to resistance testing and VL monitoring is poor. The long-term importance of PDR for non-NNRTI-based regimens needs further evaluation.

Evaluating the effect of maternal mHealth text messages on uptake of maternal and child health care services in South Africa: a multicentre cohort intervention study.

BACKGROUND: There are high expectations that mobile health (mHealth) strategies will increase uptake of health care services, especially in resource strained settings. Our study aimed to evaluate effects of an mHealth intervention on uptake of maternal health services. METHODS: This was an intervention cohort study conducted at six public antenatal and postnatal care clinics in inner-city Johannesburg, South Africa. The intervention consisted of twice-weekly informative and pregnancy stage-based maternal health information text messages sent to women during pregnancy until their child was one year of age. The intervention arm of 87 mother-infant pairs was compared to a control arm of 90 pairs. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to compare the probability of the outcome between the two groups. RESULTS: Intervention participants had higher odds of attending all government-recommended antenatal and postnatal visits, all recommended first year vaccinations (OR: 3.2, 95% CI 1.63-6.31) and had higher odds of attending at least the recommended four antenatal visits (OR: 3.21, 95% CI 1.73-5.98). CONCLUSION: We show an improvement in achieving complete maternal-infant continuum of care, providing evidence of a positive impact of informative maternal mHealth messages sent to pregnant women and new mothers. Trial registration ISRCTN, ISRCTN41772986. Registered 13 February 2019-Retrospectively registered, https://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN41772986.

Uptake of peer-led venue-based HIV testing sites in Sweden aimed at men who have sex with men (MSM) and trans persons: a cross-sectional survey.

OBJECTIVES: HIV testing among high-risk groups is a key intervention to diagnose persons living unknowingly with HIV to enable linkage to care and effective antiretroviral treatment. This study aimed to evaluate the uptake of Testpoint, the first large-scale HIV testing programme in Sweden where peer, non-healthcare personnel offered venue-based testing. Testing was performed by staff from the Swedish Foundation for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Rights (RFSL Sweden) and testing was performed at the RFSL offices, gay clubs and gay cruising areas, as well as at various gay festivals. The test was a rapid test using capillary blood from a finger prick. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey of all persons aged >18 years who came for HIV testing at one of Testpoint's locations in Sweden between 1 February and 31 December 2016. RESULTS: 595 respondents (96% response rate) were included. Five persons were diagnosed with HIV and referred for treatment and care. A fifth of participants had never tested for HIV before. More than half of the participants were foreign born and the median age was 31 years. About one-fifth of participants stated they would not have tested through the healthcare system if Testpoint was not available. CONCLUSIONS: Testpoint reached their target population of young, foreign-born men who have sex with men (MSM) as well as first time testers and persons who stated that they would not have tested within the healthcare system. Such peer HIV testing outside the healthcare setting is a possible way of increasing uptake of testing in high-risk groups.

Primary care physicians report high trust in and usefulness of the Stockholm drug and therapeutic committee's list of recommended essential medicines (the 'Wise List').

PURPOSE: Inappropriate use of medicines causes increased morbidity, mortality, adverse drug reactions, therapeutic failures and drug resistance as well as wastes valuable resources. Evidence-based cost-effective treatment recommendations of essential medicines are a way of avoiding these. We assessed primary care prescribers' knowledge about and perceptions of an essential medicines formulary, as well as the reasons for adhering to the recommendations. METHODS: We conducted a web based questionnaire survey targeting all physicians working in the primary healthcare of the Stockholm healthcare region (2.3 million inhabitants), regarding the knowledge of, attitudes to and usefulness of the essential medicines formulary of the Stockholm Drug and Therapeutics Committee, the so-called Wise List. RESULTS: Of the 1862 physicians reached by our e-mail invitations, 526 (28%) participated in the survey. All but one respondent knew of the formulary, and 72% used it at least once a week when prescribing. The main reason for using the formulary was evidence-based prescribing; 97% trusted the guidelines, and almost all (98%) found the content easy to understand. At the same time, many prescribers thought that the annual changes of some recommendations were too frequent, and some felt that a national formulary would increase its trustworthiness. CONCLUSIONS: We found that the essential medicines formulary was widely used and trusted by the prescribers. The high uptake of the treatment recommendations could be due to the Stockholm Drug and Therapeutics Committee's transparent process for developing recommendations involving respected experts and clinicians using strict criteria for handling potential conflicts of interest, feedback to prescribers, continuous medical education and minor financial incentives.

Patients' knowledge and attitudes to the Wise List - a drug formulary from the Stockholm Drug and Therapeutic committee.

BACKGROUND: Involving patients in decisions about their pharmacotherapy is crucial for a satisfactory treatment outcome. Information and opinions about medicines are available from a variety of sources. The Wise List is the drug formulary of recommended essential medicines for the Stockholm healthcare region and is issued by the Drug and Therapeutics Committee (DTC). To inform the public about treatment for common diseases and the concept of recommended medicines, a patient edition of the Wise List was developed. The aim of this study was to explore patients' knowledge, needs and attitudes to the Wise List, DTC and information about medicines in general. METHODS: To examine patient knowledge about recommended medicines a survey (n = 312) was carried out at four large primary healthcare centres in Stockholm, Sweden. To further elucidate the patients' needs of the information on recommended medicines and medicines in general, three focus group discussions (FGDs) were performed. RESULTS: Of the respondents 57% did not recognise the Wise List, 26% recognised but did not use it and 17% used it. A total of 63% reported that they search for information about medicines. The most common information source was "asking their doctor" (36%) followed by searching the internet (31%). The FGDs revealed that the patients were not interested in medicines in general, only in the medicines they use themselves. They did not understand the aim of the Wise List or how they could benefit from information about recommended medicines. The patients expressed a wish to access all information they need about their own care as well as public healthcare information at one location. CONCLUSION: The intended aim of the DTC with providing information to the public was not achieved as the patients have difficulties to understand the information and how they should use it. The patients were not interested in medicines in general, they wanted information tailored to their specific needs. The findings highlight the importance of creating tools for patients in collaboration with them and evaluate the concept continuously.

Effectiveness of an SMS-based maternal mHealth intervention to improve clinical outcomes of HIV-positive pregnant women.

We conducted a retrospective study to investigate the effectiveness of an mHealth messaging intervention aiming to improve maternal health and HIV outcomes. Maternal health SMSs were sent to 235 HIV-infected pregnant women twice per week in pregnancy and continued until the infant's first birthday. The messages were timed to the stage of the pregnancy/infant age and covered maternal health and HIV-support information. Outcomes, measured as antenatal care (ANC) visits, birth outcomes and infant HIV testing, were compared to a control group of 586 HIV-infected pregnant women who received no SMS intervention. Results showed that intervention participants attended more ANC visits (5.16 vs. 3.95, p < 0.01) and were more likely to attend at least the recommended four ANC visits (relative risk (RR): 1.41, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.15-1.72). Birth outcomes of intervention participants improved as they had an increased chance of a normal vaginal delivery (RR: 1.10, 95% CI: 1.02-1.19) and a lower risk of delivering a low-birth weight infant (<2500 g) (RR: 0.14, 95% CI: 0.02-1.07). In the intervention group, there was a trend towards higher attendance to infant polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing within six weeks after birth (81.3% vs. 75.4%, p = 0.06) and a lower mean infant age in weeks at HIV PCR testing (9.5 weeks vs. 11.1 weeks, p = 0.14). These results add to the growing evidence that mHealth interventions can have a positive impact on health outcomes and should be scaled nationally following comprehensive evaluation.

Single Deranged Physiologic Parameters Are Associated With Mortality in a Low-Income Country.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether deranged physiologic parameters at admission to an ICU in Tanzania are associated with in-hospital mortality and compare single deranged physiologic parameters to a more complex scoring system. DESIGN: Prospective, observational cohort study of patient notes and admission records. Data were collected on vital signs at admission to the ICU, patient characteristics, and outcomes. Cutoffs for deranged physiologic parameters were defined a priori and their association with in-hospital mortality was analyzed using multivariable logistic regression. SETTING: ICU at Muhimbili National Hospital, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. PATIENTS: All adults admitted to the ICU in a 15-month period. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Two hundred sixty-nine patients were included: 54% female, median age 35 years. In-hospital mortality was 50%. At admission, 69% of patients had one or more deranged physiologic parameter. Sixty-four percent of the patients with a deranged physiologic parameter died in hospital compared with 18% without (p < 0.001). The presence of a deranged physiologic parameter was associated with mortality (adjusted odds ratio, 4.64; 95% CI, 1.95-11.09). Mortality increased with increasing number of deranged physiologic parameters (odds ratio per deranged physiologic parameter, 2.24 [1.53-3.26]). Every individual deranged physiologic parameter was associated with mortality with unadjusted odds ratios between 1.92 and 16.16. A National Early Warning Score of greater than or equal to 7 had an association with mortality (odds ratio, 2.51 [1.23-5.14]). CONCLUSION: Single deranged physiologic parameters at admission are associated with mortality in a critically ill population in a low-income country. As a measure of illness severity, single deranged physiologic parameters are as useful as a compound scoring system in this setting and could be termed "danger signs." Danger signs may be suitable for the basis of routines to identify and treat critically ill patients.

A cross-sectional pilot study assessing needs and attitudes to implementation of Information and Communication Technology for rational use of medicines among healthcare staff in rural Tanzania.

BACKGROUND: In resource-poor countries access to essential medicines, suboptimal prescribing and use of medicines are major problems. Health workers lack updated medical information and treatment support. Information and Communication Technology (ICT) could help tackle this. The impact of ICT on health systems in resource-poor countries is likely to be significant and transform the practice of medicine just as in high-income countries. However, research for finding the best way of doing this is needed. We aimed to assess current approaches to and use of ICT among health workers in two rural districts of Tanzania in relation to the current drug distribution practices, drug stock and continuing medical information (CME), as well as assessing the feasibility of using ICT to improve ordering and use of medicines. METHODS: This pilot study was conducted in 2010-2011, mapping the drug distribution chain in Tanzania, including problems and barriers. The study was conducted in Bunda and Serengeti districts, both part of the ICT4RD (ICT for rural development) project. Health workers involved in drug procurement and use at 13 health facilities were interviewed on use and knowledge of ICT, and their attitudes to its use in their daily work. They were also shown and interviewed about their thoughts on an android tablet application prototype for drug stock inventory and drug ordering, based on the Tanzanian Medical Stores Department (MSD) current paper forms. RESULTS: The main challenge was a stable supply of essential medicines. Drug supplies were often delayed and incomplete, resulting in stock-outs. All 20 interviewed health workers used mobile phones, 8 of them Smartphones with Internet connection. The Health workers were very positive to the tablet application and saw its potential in reducing drug stock-outs. They also expressed a great need and wish for CME by distance. CONCLUSION: The tablet application was easily used and appreciated by health workers, and thus has the potential to save time and effort, reduce transportation costs and minimise drug stock-outs. Furthermore, the android tablet could be used to reach out with CME programs to health care workers at remote health facilities, as well as those in towns.

The role of medicines and therapeutics committees structure in supporting optimal antibacterial use in hospitals in Uganda: A mixed method study.

Although the roles of Medicines and therapeutic committees (MTCs) have been expanding, there is limited information on the role of their structure in optimal antibacterial use in hospitals, especially in low-and-middle-income countries. Our study explored the structure and role of MTC in supporting antibacterial use in regional referral, general hospitals and tertiary private not-for-profit (PNFP) hospitals in Uganda. We conducted an explanatory sequential mixed-method approach with triangulation to explore the structure and functional role of MTCs from August 2019 to February 2020 in hospitals in Uganda. Quantitative data was collected using an interviewer-administered questionnaire among chairpersons or secretaries of MTCs and was analysed using descriptive statistics. We conducted key informant interviews using an interview guide among long-term serving members of MTCs to collect qualitative data which triangulated the quantitative data. The study revealed that sixteen hospitals had successfully established MTCs with an average duration of the MTCs' existence of 5.6 (+2.7) years. The membership of the MTCs varied between 7 and 14, with a median value of 10, and the majority of members in MTCs were pharmacists (15 out of 16) and clinical specialists (13 out of 16). The most frequent subcommittees of the 16 hospitals MTC were supply chain (n = 14), antimicrobial stewardship (n = 13), and infection control (n = 12). Majority (14 out of 16) of the MTCs supported availability and access of antibacterial use by selecting and evaluating antibacterials agents for their formulary lists using established criteria. Additionally, 15 out 16 MTCs conducted antimicrobial stewardship activities to support optimal antimicrobial use. In our study, MTC membership and subcommittees were critical structural components that aided the selection and evaluation antibacterials on hospital formulary lists and they supported optimal antibacterial use through implementing various antimicrobial stewardship activities. There is a need for the Ministry of Health to conduct more training on operationalising MTCs structures in all hospitals.

Emergency and critical care services in Tanzania: a survey of ten hospitals.

BACKGROUND: While there is a need for good quality care for patients with serious reversible disease in all countries in the world, Emergency and Critical Care tends to be one of the weakest parts of health systems in low-income countries. We assessed the structure and availability of resources for Emergency and Critical Care in Tanzania in order to identify the priorities for improving care in this neglected specialty. METHODS: Ten hospitals in four regions of Tanzania were assessed using a structured data collection tool. Quality was evaluated with standards developed from the literature and expert opinion. RESULTS: Important deficits were identified in infrastructure, routines and training. Only 30% of the hospitals had an emergency room for adult and paediatric patients. None of the seven district and regional hospitals had a triage area or intensive care unit for adults. Only 40% of the hospitals had formal systems for adult triage and in less than one third were critically ill patients seen by clinicians more than once daily. In 80% of the hospitals there were no staff trained in adult triage or critical care. In contrast, a majority of equipment and drugs necessary for emergency and critical care were available in the hospitals (median 90% and 100% respectively. The referral/private hospitals tended to have a greater overall availability of resources (median 89.7%) than district/regional hospitals (median 70.6). CONCLUSIONS: Many of the structures necessary for Emergency and Critical Care are lacking in hospitals in Tanzania. Particular weaknesses are infrastructure, routines and training, whereas the availability of drugs and equipment is generally good. Policies to improve hospital systems for the care of emergency and critically ill patients should be prioritised.

Swedish Efforts to Contain Antibiotic Resistance in the Environment-A Qualitative Study among Selected Stakeholders.

Antibiotic resistance is a serious global threat to human and animal health. In this study, we explored perceptions of work to contain antibiotic resistance with a focus on the environment. Nine stakeholders from six different areas were interviewed in 2018. A short information update was given by informants from four of the areas in 2021. Interview transcripts were analyzed by conventional content analysis. The stakeholders' perceptions were concluded in three categories: "examples of actions taken to combat antibiotic resistance", "factors influencing work", and "factors hindering work". All informants reported having a role to play. Some of them were very engaged in this issue, whereas among others, antibiotics and resistance were just one part of a general engagement. To be able to act, the policymaker stakeholders asked for more knowledge about antibiotics in the environment and possible actions to take. Actions from the government were requested by several informants. Coordination of the work to combat antibiotic resistance in the environment was not recognized and the One Health approach was known at policy level but not among practitioners. Still, actions seemed to be coordinated, but this was, according to the stakeholders, based on findings from research in their area rather than on strategies developed by national authorities.

Characteristics of antimicrobial stewardship programmes in hospitals of Uganda.

While interest in antimicrobial stewardship programmes (ASPs) is growing in most low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), there is a paucity of information on their adoption or implementation in Africa, particularly Uganda. The study assessed the presence and characteristics of ASPs, implemented antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) strategies and the challenges to their implementation in hospitals in Uganda. We conducted a cross-sectional study among heads of infection prevention committees (IPCs) in regional referral hospitals, general hospitals, and private-not-for-profit (PNFP) hospitals from November 2019 to February 2020. An interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to collect data. We analysed data using descriptive statistics. A total of 32 heads of IPCs were enrolled in the study. Of these, eight were from regional referral hospitals, 21 were from general hospitals, and three were from PNFPs. Most heads of IPC were pharmacists (17/32, 53.1%) with a mean age and standard deviation (sd) of 36.1 (±1.1) years. A formal ASP was adopted or implemented in 14 out of the 32 (44%, 95% CI 26-62) studied hospitals. Thirty out of 32 hospitals implemented at least one type of AMS strategy. Sixty-eight percent (22/32) of the hospitals implemented pre-authorisation and approval as their primary AMS core strategy to optimise antibacterial use. The most commonly reported challenges to the implementation of ASP across all 32 hospitals (with or without ASP) were lack of time for the ASP team (29/32, 90.6%) and lack of allocated funding for antimicrobial stewardship team (29/32, 90.6%). In this study, most hospitals in Uganda implemented at least one AMS strategy despite the low implementation of ASPs in hospitals. The ministry of health needs to sensitise and support the establishment of ASP in hospitals across the country.

Antimicrobial stewardship: Attitudes and practices of healthcare providers in selected health facilities in Uganda.

Though antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) programmes are the cornerstone of Uganda's national action plan (NAP) on antimicrobial resistance, there is limited evidence on AMS attitude and practices among healthcare providers in health facilities in Uganda. We determined healthcare providers' AMS attitudes, practices, and associated factors in selected health facilities in Uganda. We conducted a cross-sectional study among nurses, clinical officers, pharmacy technicians, medical officers, pharmacists, and medical specialists in 32 selected health facilities in Uganda. Data were collected once from each healthcare provider in the period from October 2019 to February 2020. Data were collected using an interview-administered questionnaire. AMS attitude and practice were analysed using descriptive statistics, where scores of AMS attitude and practices for healthcare providers were classified into high, fair, and low using a modified Blooms categorisation. Associations of AMS attitude and practice scores were determined using ordinal logistic regression. This study reported estimates of AMS attitude and practices, and odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals were reported. We adjusted for clustering at the health facility level using clustered robust standard errors. A total of 582 healthcare providers in 32 healthcare facilities were recruited into the study. More than half of the respondents (58%,340/582) had a high AMS attitude. Being a female (aOR: 0.66, 95% CI: 0.47-0.92, P < 0.016), having a bachelor's degree (aOR: 1.81, 95% CI: 1.24-2.63, P < 0.002) or master's (aOR: 2.06, 95% CI: 1.13-3.75, P < 0.018) were significant predictors of high AMS attitude. Most (46%, 261/582) healthcare providers had fair AMS practices. Healthcare providers in the western region's health facilities were less likely to have a high AMS practice (aOR: 0.52, 95% CI 0.34-0.79, P < 0.002). In this study, most healthcare providers in health facilities had a high AMS attitude and fair AMS practice.

Policy Challenges Facing the Scale Up of Integrated Community Case Management (iCCM) in Uganda.

BACKGROUND: Integrated Community Case Management (iCCM) of malaria, pneumonia and diarrhoea is an equity focused strategy, to increase access to care for febrile illness in children under-5 years of age, in rural communities. Lay community members are trained to diagnose and treat malaria, pneumonia and diarrhoea in children, and to identify and refer very ill children. Today, many low-income countries including Uganda, have a policy for iCCM which is being rolled out through public sector community health workers (CHWs). Ten years after the introduction of the iCCM strategy in Uganda, it is important to take stock and understand the barriers and facilitators affecting implementation of the iCCM policy. METHODS: We conducted an iCCM policy analysis in order to identify the challenges, enablers and priorities for scale-up of the iCCM strategy in Uganda. This was a qualitative case study research which included a document review (n=52) and key informant interviews (n=15) with Ugandan stakeholders. Interviews were conducted in 2017 and the desk review included literature up to 2019. RESULTS: This paper highlights the iCCM policy trajectory since 2010 in Uganda and includes a policy timeline. The iCCM policy process was mainly led by international agencies from inception, with little ownership of the government. Many implementation challenges including low government funding, weak coordination and contradicting policies were identified, which could contribute to the slow scale up of the iCCM program. Despite the challenges, many enablers and opportunities also exist within the health system, which should be further harnessed to scale up iCCM in Uganda. These enabling factors include strong community commitment, existing policy instruments and the potential of utilizing also the private sector for iCCM implementation. CONCLUSION: The iCCM program in Uganda needs to be strengthen through increased domestic funding, strong coordination and a focus on monitoring, evaluation and operational research.

Antibiotic Prescribing in Connection to Childbirth: An Observational Study in Two Districts in Lao PDR.

Overuse and misuse of antibiotics has frequently been reported for obstetric conditions and procedures, which may impact both the mother and the unborn baby and increase antibiotic resistance. This study aimed to investigate the antibiotic prescribing pattern in connection to childbirth in two districts in Lao PDR. It is a cross-sectional observational study. Antibiotic prescription data related to childbirth was collected via reviews of medical records in two district hospitals and five health centers in Lao PDR from September 2019 to November 2020. In total, antibiotic prescription data for 1777 women were extracted from their medical records. It was found that all women received antibiotics during in-patient care irrespective of delivery mode. When in hospital, 85.5% of the women who underwent a caesarean section got antibiotic treatment for 5 days and women who had a vaginal delivery usually had antibiotic treatment for one day or less. All the women got oral antibiotics for an additional 4-5 days upon discharge. Antibiotic prescription rate in connection to childbirth was very high in comparison with the WHO guidelines, and antibiotics were used extensively in the participating health facilities. Interventions to guide appropriate prescribing behavior in relation to childbirth are urgently needed in Lao PDR.