Dlungele Andile P, Mathibe Lehlohonolo
Division of Pharmacology (Therapeutics), Discipline of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa.
S Afr J Infect Dis. 2025 Jan 17;40(1):677. doi: 10.4102/sajid.v40i1.677. eCollection 2025.
The Antimicrobial Stewardship (AMS) programme is one of the strategic initiatives of the World Health Organization's global action plan to reduce antimicrobial resistance (AMR). In sub-Saharan countries, there is insufficient scientific evidence regarding healthcare providers' perception of institutionalisation of ASPs as a strategy to reduce AMR.
This study investigated the knowledge, attitudes and practices of healthcare workers in the uMgungundlovu District regarding the enablers and barriers to institutionalisation of AMS programmes in public health settings.
This was a prospective, cross-sectional and a 5-point-Likert-scale (1 = minimal; 2 = limited; 3 = average; 4 = good and 5 = comprehensive) questionnaire-based arm of a larger mixed-methods study. Voluntary participants were purposively recruited from hospitals and community health centres in the uMgungundlovu District, South Africa.
Forty-nine ( = 49) participants were recruited. That is, 33% ( = 16), 28% ( = 14), 25% ( = 12) and 14% ( = 7) were nurses, pharmacists as well as pharmacist interns, medical practitioners and healthcare managers, respectively. Eighty percent ( = 40; median score 5, interquartile range [IQR] 4-5) and 67% ( = 33; median score 4, IQR 3-4) of participants felt that they had a key role in reducing antibiotic resistance; and good knowledge of antimicrobials as well as AMS programmes, respectively. However, participants who had been employed for less than 12 months across all the facilities had 'limited' knowledge (median score of 2; IQR 1-3.5) of antimicrobials and AMS programmes.
Healthcare workers in public healthcare settings in the uMgungundlovu District knew how crucial their roles were in reducing AMR.
This study highlights the need for employment experience and adequate healthcare service providers as critical factors for the successful institutionalisation of AMS programmes in public health facilities.
抗菌药物管理（AMS）计划是世界卫生组织全球行动计划中减少抗菌药物耐药性（AMR）的战略举措之一。在撒哈拉以南国家，关于医疗保健提供者对将抗菌药物管理计划制度化作为减少抗菌药物耐药性策略的看法，科学证据不足。
本研究调查了乌姆贡古德洛武区医护人员对公共卫生环境中抗菌药物管理计划制度化的推动因素和障碍的知识、态度和实践。
这是一项前瞻性、横断面研究，是一项更大的混合方法研究中基于5点李克特量表（1 = 极少；2 = 有限；3 = 一般；4 = 良好；5 = 全面）问卷调查的部分。从南非乌姆贡古德洛武区的医院和社区卫生中心有目的地招募了自愿参与者。
招募了49名参与者。即护士占33%（16名）、药剂师以及药剂师实习生占28%（14名）、医生占25%（12名）、医疗保健管理人员占14%（7名）。80%（40名；中位数得分5，四分位间距[IQR] 4 - 5）和67%（33名；中位数得分4，IQR 3 - 4）的参与者认为他们在减少抗生素耐药性方面起关键作用；并且分别对抗菌药物以及抗菌药物管理计划有良好的了解。然而，所有机构中工作少于12个月的参与者对抗菌药物和抗菌药物管理计划的知识“有限”（中位数得分2；IQR 1 - 3.5）。
乌姆贡古德洛武区公共医疗环境中的医护人员知道他们在减少抗菌药物耐药性方面的作用有多关键。
本研究强调了就业经验和充足的医疗服务提供者作为公共卫生设施中抗菌药物管理计划成功制度化的关键因素的必要性。
