Antimicrobial storage and antibiotic knowledge in the community: a cross-sectional pilot study in north-western Angola

• Autor(a) principal: Cortez, Joana
• Data de Publicação: 2017
• Outros Autores: Rosário, Edite, Pires, João E., Taborda Lopes, João, Francisco, Moisés, Vlieghe, Erika, Brito, Miguel
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)
• Texto Completo: http://hdl.handle.net/10400.21/7087
• topic: Public health; Infectious disease; Antimicrobial storage; Antibiotic; Angola; Província do Bengo

Background - Antimicrobials are drugs that were once lifesavers and mainly curative. Nowadays their value is increasingly under pressure because of the fast and worldwide emergence of antimicrobial resistance, which, in low resources settings, frequently occurs in microorganisms that are likely to be transmitted in the community. Methods - A cross-sectional pilot study including 102 households within the 10th HDSS round in Dande, Bengo Province, Angola. Results - From the total 102 households piloted, 77.45% were urban (n = 79); the respondents were females in 56.44% (n = 57) and mean age was 39.70 (SD 15.35). Overall storage of antimicrobials was found in 55/102 (53.92%) of the households. More than 66% of the antimicrobials stored were prescribed by a health professional and the majority of antimicrobials were bought at pharmacies and at a street market. Penicillin and its derivates, antimalarial drugs and metronidazole are the most frequently antimicrobials stored. Households with female respondents reported to store more frequently any drugs at home (82.50%) (p = 0.002) and also more antimicrobials (64.91%; p = 0.016) as compared to households with male respondents. Reported use of antimicrobials was significantly higher in urban 60.76% (48/79) as compared to rural households 30.43% (7/23), (p = 0.010). Overall, 74/101 (73.26%) of respondents reported to have already heard about antibiotics. Among them, the common reasons for its use were cough and other respiratory symptoms, wounds, flu and body muscle pain, fever, bladder complaints, diarrhea and/or presumed typhoid fever. Nearly 40% (28/74) of the respondents thought that antibiotics should be stopped as soon as people dońt feel sick anymore. Conclusions - Community interventions for appropriate use of antibiotics should be designed with a special focus in women; through public awareness campaigns and improving access to reliable medical services. Drug prescribers are a keystone not only in adequate antimicrobial prescription but also adequate dispensing and strong advocates for the possible misconceptions on antimicrobial usage by laypeople.