Antibiotic consumption in 14 countries of sub-Saharan Africa

Overview:

Antibiotics save lives, but their misuse can contribute to antimicrobial resistance (AMR), a growing global health threat. To promote responsible antibiotic use, it’s essential for countries to track how much and what types of antibiotics are being used, a process known as antimicrobial consumption (AMC) monitoring.

However, in many African countries, reliable data on antibiotic use is limited, making it difficult to identify trends or develop effective stewardship programs. In this Africa CDC study supported by OHT researchers, the authors sought to find out how much antibiotics are being used in African hospitals and communities, which types are most commonly used, and whether countries are meeting the WHO’s targets for responsible antibiotic use.

The Question:

How many antibiotics are being used in African hospitals and communities? Which types are most commonly used? Are countries meeting the WHO’s targets for responsible antibiotic use?

The Findings:

The researchers analyzed data from 327 pharmacies across 14 African countries between 2016 to 2019, and found that:

• National-level data were available for 11 countries, showing that overall antibiotic use was relatively low but varied widely across countries.
• Most countries (82 percent) and many pharmacies (72 percent) met the WHO’s target, with at least 60 percent of antibiotic use coming from Access drugs.
• Antibiotic use was concentrated in a narrow range of medicines. People rely on just a few types of antibiotics, which can increase pressure on those drugs and drive resistance.
• Many countries’ essential medicines lists also included antibiotics not recommended by the WHO.
• Antibiotic use in Africa is lower compared to many other regions, but access to these drugs is uneven, and there are major data gaps.

Countries must strengthen surveillance, expand access to a wider range of essential antibiotics, and build national capacity to monitor antimicrobial use and resistance to better protect public health and fight AMR.

Read the article in PLOS One here.