Practices and perspectives on antimicrobial drug misuse in Southern Ethiopia: a mixed-method study, 2024

Antimicrobial resistance refers to the ability of microorganisms to become resistant to antibiotics, fungicides, and other antimicrobial agents, which are essential for treating illnesses in humans, land and water-based animals, and plants. This issue is quickly emerging as a major danger to health, economic stability, and livelihoods. One notable driver of these resistant microorganisms is the misuse of antimicrobial medications.

To assess the practices and perspectives on antimicrobial drug misuse in Wolaita Zone, 2024.

This study employed a community-based cross-sectional mixed-methods design. The study data were collected from 423 community residents for the quantitative phase and 15 participants for the qualitative phase, data collection for the quantitative component was collected using structured interview-administered questionnaires, and the qualitative component involved in-depth interviews with purposively selected participants, guided by a structured interview. Quantitative data management involved the use of EpiData V4.6 and the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences for data entry and analysis, respectively. The qualitative data underwent thematic analysis utilizing OpenCode software, a qualitative data analysis tool.

In this study, the quantitative data found that 67.1% of participants misused antimicrobial drugs. The factors significantly associated with the misuse of antimicrobial drugs included educational status [AOR: 1.91 (95% CI: 0.93-2.11)], drug cost [AOR: 3.22 (95% CI: 1.18-5.3)], knowledge regarding the use of antimicrobial drugs [AOR: 2.23 (95% CI: 1.66-4.01)], and adherence to stewardship guidelines [AOR: 3.37 (95% CI: 2.44-9.24)]. Additionally, the qualitative study identified four key themes from the data analysis namely, factors related to drug providers, patient-driven factors, sociocultural influences, and limitations in regulatory and policy frameworks.

The study reveals a troubling rate of antimicrobial drug misuse among the population. The finding underscores the urgent need to address the gaps and barriers that impede proper use of antimicrobial drugs. It is recommended that government and non-government health sectors, along with relevant stakeholders, implement educational initiatives and health campaigns to combat this problem.