What is it about?
This research is about public awareness on antibiotics use and antibiotic resistance (AMR). Teachers are useful pubic health promoters. Antibiotic resistant infections are causing 37,000 deaths in Kenya per year. This is attributable to failure to lack of outreach educational programs. This study sought to data on teachers' knowledge and attitudes towards antibiotics and AMR so as to provide policy makers with evidence based information on gaps that can be mitigated to position teachers in dissemination of AMR information so as to ensure rational use of antibiotics in school communities and beyond
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Why is it important?
Rational use of antibiotics would minimize the adverse effects of AMR. In Kenya, teachers are critical resource that can be used to disseminate information on proper use of antibiotics and in away reduce misuse of the drugs which is the main driver of AMR. By bridging the gaps identified in the study, we feel that teachers will be better placed to be linchpins for rational antibiotic consumption in our communities.
Perspectives
I hope this article will motivate Kenya National Antimicrobial Stewardship Interagency committee and other public health stakeholders take a policy decision to address knowledge and attitude gaps among teachers regarding antimicrobial resistance. As such, teachers will be better positioned to help in spreading information about proper use of the dugs
Dr Patrick Mbuvi Mutua
Pwani University
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: A survey of knowledge and attitudes towards antibiotic use and resistance among teachers in the Republic of Kenya: Implications for using teachers in raising public awareness of rational antibiotic use in school communities, PLOS One, December 2024, PLOS,
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0316122.
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