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.

A multicentre point prevalence study of antibiotics utilization in hospitalized patients in an urban secondary and a tertiary healthcare facilities in Nigeria: findings and implications.

Objectives: The understanding of antimicrobial utilization patterns is pertinent to successful implementation of the National Action Plans on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR). There is, however, limited information on antibiotics utilization in Nigeria. This study was undertaken to build on existing information and provide direction for appropriate interventions including Antibiotics Stewardship Programs (ASP).

Review of Ongoing Activities and Challenges to Improve the Care of Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Across Africa and the Implications for the Future.

Background: There has been an appreciable increase in the number of people in Africa with metabolic syndrome and Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) in recent years as a result of a number of factors. Factors include lifestyle changes, urbanisation, and the growing consumption of processed foods coupled with increasing levels of obesity. Currently there are 19 million adults in Africa with diabetes, mainly T2DM (95%), estimated to grow to 47 million people by 2045 unless controlled.

Ongoing and planned activities to improve the management of patients with Type 1 diabetes across Africa; implications for the future.

Background: Currently about 19 million people in Africa are known to be living with diabetes, mainly Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) (95%), estimated to grow to 47 million people by 2045. However, there are concerns with early diagnosis of patients with Type 1 diabetes (T1DM) as often patients present late with complications. There are also challenges with access and affordability of insulin, monitoring equipment and test strips with typically high patient co-payments, which can be catastrophic for families.

Ongoing strategies to improve the management of upper respiratory tract infections and reduce inappropriate antibiotic use particularly among lower and middle-income countries: findings and implications for the future.

Antibiotics are indispensable to maintaining human health; however, their overuse has resulted in resistant organisms, increasing morbidity, mortality and costs. Increasing antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a major public health threat, resulting in multiple campaigns across countries to improve appropriate antimicrobial use. This includes addressing the overuse of antimicrobials for self-limiting infections, such as upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs), particularly in lower- and middle-income countries (LMICs) where there is the greatest inappropriate use and where antibiotic utilization has increased the most in recent years.

Antimicrobial utilization research and activities in Botswana, the past, present and the future.

A number of activities are ongoing to reduce AMR in Botswana by improving antimicrobial utilization across all sectors. However, there is a need to share experiences. With the objective of sharing these, the second one day symposium was held in the University of Botswana in October 2018 involving both private and public hospitals.

Healthcare-associated infections including neonatal bloodstream infections in a leading tertiary hospital in Botswana.

: Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) increase morbidity, mortality, length of hospital stay and costs, and should be prevented where possible. In addition, up to 71% of neonates are prone to bloodstream infections (BSI) during intensive care due to a variety of factors. Consequently, the objectives of this study were to estimate the burden of HAIs and possible risk factors in a tertiary hospital in Botswana as well as describe current trends in bacterial isolates from neonatal blood specimen and their antibiotic resistance patterns.

Point prevalence study of antimicrobial use among hospitals across Botswana; findings and implications.

: There is an urgent need to undertake Point Prevalence Surveys (PPS) across Africa to document antimicrobial utilisation rates given high rates of infectious diseases and growing resistance rates. This is the case in Botswana along with high empiric use and extended prophylaxis to prevent surgical site infections (SSIs) : PPS was conducted among all hospital sectors in Botswana using forms based on Global and European PPS studies adapted for Botswana, including rates of HIV, TB, malaria, and malnutrition. Quantitative study to assess the capacity to promote appropriate antibiotic prescribing.

Determinants of antibiotic prescribing among doctors in a Nigerian urban tertiary hospital.

Objectives: The problem of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has assumed pandemic dimensions especially among low-and middle-income countries such as Nigeria. Irrational use of currently available antimicrobial agents is a major contributory factor. There remains a paucity of documented information on the determinants of antibiotic prescribing among physicians in Nigeria to guide future strategies to reduce AMR.

Ongoing initiatives to improve the use of antibiotics in Botswana: University of Botswana symposium meeting report.

Background And Objective: There are ongoing initiatives in Botswana to enhance appropriate antibiotic use. The objective of this meeting was to discuss ongoing initiatives in Botswana since February 2016 to improve antibiotic use. Subsequently, use the findings to refine national and local action plans.