The portrayal of antimicrobial resistance in Bangladeshi newspapers during 2010-2021: Toward understanding the narrative.

BACKGROUND: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a major global public health crisis and around the last decade, newspapers were one of the main sources of public dissemination of information for so. This study highlights how Bangladeshi mainstream newspapers represented AMR-related news and how they created the narrative of AMR in Bangladesh. METHODS: We conducted both quantitative and qualitative content analysis on 275 AMR-related news articles published in the twelve highest circulated dailies (January 2010 to September 2021). We divided the articles into report, opinion, and editorials and analyzed how their contents built the narrative of AMR in Bangladesh. RESULTS: Bangladeshi newspapers reported misuse of antibiotics by the consumers the most (32.2%), followed by selling without prescriptions (29%), and over-prescription by the health providers (26.1%). There were hardly any news reports describing the impact of pharmaceutical companies in prescribing and selling antibiotics. Around 45% of the news articles were event-oriented. Moreover, they suggested inadequate recommendations to battle AMR. CONCLUSION: Valid, consistent, and reliable AMR news coverage can play a crucial role in creating mass awareness, making providers accountable, and supporting national action plan in mitigating AMR threat. The Bangladeshi journalists interested in reporting AMR-issues should focus on disseminating more Bangla articles with scientific information, and reporting causes and recommendations responsibly.

Antibiotic Prescribing Practices for Treating COVID-19 Patients in Bangladesh.

Although national and international guidelines have strongly discouraged use of antibiotics to treat COVID-19 patients with mild or moderate symptoms, antibiotics are frequently being used. This study aimed to determine antibiotics-prescribing practices among Bangladeshi physicians in treating COVID-19 patients. We conducted a cross-sectional survey among physicians involved in treating COVID-19 patients. During September-November 2021, data were collected from 511 respondents through an online Google Form and hardcopies of self-administered questionnaires. We used descriptive statistics and a regression model to identify the prevalence of prescribing antibiotics among physicians and associated factors influencing their decision making. Out of 511 enrolled physicians, 94.13% prescribed antibiotics to COVID-19 patients irrespective of disease severity. All physicians working in COVID-19-dedicated hospitals and 87% for those working in outpatient wards used antibiotics to treat COVID-19 patients. The majority (90%) of physicians reported that antibiotics should be given to COVID-19 patients with underlying respiratory conditions. The most prescribed antibiotics were meropenem, moxifloxacin, and azithromycin. Our study demonstrated high use of antibiotics for treatment of COVID-19 patients irrespective of disease severity and the duty ward of study physicians. Evidence-based interventions to promote judicious use of antibiotics for treating COVID-19 patients in Bangladesh may help in reducing an overuse of antibiotics.