Health Policy and the Management of Antimicrobial Resistance in LMICs

An antibiotic stewardship program in a surgical ICU of a resource-limited country: financial impact with improved clinical outcomes

Antibiotic resistance (ABX-R) is alarming in lower/middle-income countries (LMICs). Nonadherence to antibiotic guidelines and inappropriate prescribing are significant contributing factors to ABX-R. This study...

Authors: Kashif Hussain, Muhammad Faisal Khan, Gul Ambreen, Syed Shamim Raza, Seema Irfan, Kiren Habib and Hasnain Zafar

Antimicrobial resistance preparedness in sub-Saharan African countries

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is of growing concern globally and AMR status in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is undefined due to a lack of real-time data recording, surveillance and regulation. World Health Organi...

Authors: Linzy Elton, Margaret J. Thomason, John Tembo, Thirumalaisamy P. Velavan, Srinivas Reddy Pallerla, Liã Bárbara Arruda, Francesco Vairo, Chiara Montaldo, Francine Ntoumi, Muzamil M. Abdel Hamid, Najmul Haider, Richard Kock, Giuseppe Ippolito, Alimuddin Zumla and Timothy D. McHugh

First case of Dolutegravir and Darunavir/r multi drug-resistant HIV-1 in Cameroon following exposure to Raltegravir: lessons and implications in the era of transition to Dolutegravir-based regimens

Sub-Saharan African countries are transitioning to dolutegravir-based regimens, even for patients with extensive previous drug exposure, including first-generation integrase strand-transfer inhibitors (INSTI) ...

Authors: Joseph Fokam, Desire Takou, Ezechiel Ngoufack Jagni Semengue, Georges Teto, Grace Beloumou, Beatrice Dambaya, Maria-Mercedes Santoro, Leonella Mossiang, Serge Clotaire Billong, Fatim Cham, Samuel Martin Sosso, Edith Saounde Temgoua, Aubin Joseph Nanfack, Sylvie Moudourou, Nelly Kamgaing, Rachel Kamgaing…

Azithromycin resistant gonococci: a literature review

Gonorrhea is the second most common sexually transmitted bacterial infection (STI) next to Chlamydia. Untreated cases could results in major complications like pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), ectopic pregna...

Authors: Awoke Derbie, Daniel Mekonnen, Yimtubezinash Woldeamanuel and Tamrat Abebe

High rate of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing gram-negative infections and associated mortality in Ethiopia: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Gram-negative bacteria have become a serious threat to global health. Their rapid spread is associated with high mortality due to ineffective antibiotic treatm...

Authors: Tafese B. Tufa, Andre Fuchs, Takele B. Tufa, Loraine Stötter, Achim J. Kaasch, Torsten Feldt, Dieter Häussinger and Colin R. Mackenzie

Sale of WHO AWaRe groups antibiotics without a prescription in Pakistan: a simulated client study

Resistant strains of bacteria are rapidly emerging with increasing inappropriate use of antibiotics rendering them less efficacious. Self-purchasing of antibiotics particularly for viral infections is a key dr...

Authors: Zikria Saleem, Mohamed Azmi Hassali, Brian Godman, Munazzah Fatima, Zeenia Ahmad, Areeba Sajid, Inaam Ur Rehman, Muhammad Umer Nadeem, Zaida Javaid, Madeeha Malik and Azhar Hussain

Secular trend analysis of antibiotic utilisation in China’s hospitals 2011–2018, a retrospective analysis of procurement data

This study was aimed to explore the secular trends of antibiotic utilisation in China’s hospitals over an 8-year period.

Authors: Haishaerjiang Wushouer, Yue Zhou, Xi Zhang, Mengyuan Fu, Daiming Fan, Luwen Shi and Xiaodong Guan

Antimicrobial use and resistance in food-producing animals and the environment: an African perspective

The overuse of antimicrobials in food animals and the subsequent contamination of the environment have been associated with development and spread of antimicrobial resistance. This review presents information ...

Authors: Zuhura I. Kimera, Stephen E. Mshana, Mark M. Rweyemamu, Leonard E. G. Mboera and Mecky I. N. Matee

An estimation of total antimicrobial usage in humans and animals in Vietnam

The accurate assessment of antimicrobial use (AMU) requires relating quantities of active ingredients (AAIs) with population denominators. These data can be used to prioritize potential sources of selective pr...

Authors: Juan J. Carrique-Mas, Marc Choisy, Nguyen Van Cuong, Guy Thwaites and Stephen Baker

Need to improve availability of “access” group antibiotics and reduce the use of “watch” group antibiotics in India for optimum use of antibiotics to contain antimicrobial resistance

Authors: Sumanth Gandra and Anita Kotwani

Practice of over-the-counter dispensary of antibiotics for childhood illnesses in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: a simulated patient encounter study

Dispensary and use of antibiotics without prescriptions from qualified providers is a common practice in countries with poor pharmaceutical regulations and where due focus is not given to rational use. This pr...

Authors: Eyosait Mekonnen Koji, Gebremedhin Beedemariam Gebretekle and Tinsae Alemayehu Tekle

Community pharmacy staff’s response to symptoms of common infections: a pseudo-patient study

Inappropriate over-the-counter supply of antibiotics in pharmacies for common infections is recognised as a source of antibiotic misuse that can worsen the global burden of antibiotic resistance.

Authors: Shukry Zawahir, Sarath Lekamwasam and Parisa Aslani

Probing popular and political discourse on antimicrobial resistance in China

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is an increasing threat to global public health that is largely exacerbated by the overuse and misuse of antimicrobial medicines. As the largest antimicrobials producer and user ...

Authors: An Yi Yu, Susan Rogers Van Katwyk and Steven J. Hoffman

Antibiotic resistance, the 3As and the road ahead

Antibiotic resistance is by far one of the most important health threats of our time. Only a global concerted effort of several disciplines based on the One-Health concept will help in slowing down this proces...

Authors: Esther-Maria Antão, Szilvia Vincze, Regina Hanke, Lukas Klimmek, Katarzyna Suchecka, Antina Lübke-Becker and Lothar H. Wieler

Investigating the impact of poverty on colonization and infection with drug-resistant organisms in humans: a systematic review

Poverty increases the risk of contracting infectious diseases and therefore exposure to antibiotics. Yet there is lacking evidence on the relationship between income and non-income dimensions of poverty and an...

Authors: Vivian Alividza, Victor Mariano, Raheelah Ahmad, Esmita Charani, Timothy M. Rawson, Alison H. Holmes and Enrique Castro-Sánchez

Antibiotic resistance and molecular characterization of diarrheagenic Escherichia coli and non-typhoidal Salmonella strains isolated from infections in Southwest China

Bacterial diarrhea is one of the most common causes for medical consultations, mortality and morbidity in the world. Diarrheagenic Escherichia coli (DEC) and non-typhoidal Salmonella (NTS) are major intestinal pa...

Authors: Shun-Xian Zhang, Yong-Ming Zhou, Li-Guang Tian, Jia-Xu Chen, Rita Tinoco-Torres, Emmanuel Serrano, Shi-Zhu Li, Shao-Hong Chen, Lin Ai, Jun-Hu Chen, Shang Xia, Yan Lu, Shan Lv, Xue-Jiao Teng, Wen Xu, Wen-Peng Gu…

Antibiotic resistance patterns of urinary tract pathogens in Turkish children

Knowledge of local antimicrobial resistance patterns is essential for evidence- based empirical antibiotic prescribing. We aimed to investigate the distribution and changes in causative agents of urinary tract...

Authors: Suzan Gunduz and Hatice Uludağ Altun

Antibiotic use during pregnancy: a retrospective study of prescription patterns and birth outcomes at an antenatal clinic in rural Ghana

Babies are increasingly being exposed to antibiotics intrapartum in the bid to reduce neonatal and maternal deaths. Intrapartum antibiotic exposure, including even those considered safe in pregnancy, have been...

Authors: Kwesi Boadu Mensah, Kwame Opoku-Agyeman and Charles Ansah