Practices and challenges related to antibiotic use in pediatric treatment in hospitals and health centres in Niger and Uganda

Antibiotic resistance has become a major universal public health problem. Besides, few projects to develop new pediatric antibiotics appear to be available soon. The study proposed by Epicentre and the Global Antibiotic Research and Development Partnership (GARDP) seeks to better understand antibiotic prescribing practices for the management of common pediatric bacterial infections in low-income country settings. 

The aim is to understand the antibiotic prescribing practices of health professionals better, identify the main constraints associated with antibiotic treatment in children, and identify the main elements that could be improved to treat bacterial infections in these children better.

The study proposes a combination of different methods, including qualitative interviews with health professionals, focus groups with caregivers, and retrospective quantitative description of antibiotic prescriptions from health facility registries.

The study will be conducted in 4 health facilities in Niger, as well as 4 facilities in Uganda. It is planned to select a minimum of 600 pediatric consultations in each country for over one year.

This study will describe the constraints faced by health professionals and carers when prescribing antibiotics to children, in particular concerning the choice, dosage, mode of administration, formulation, duration, and availability of these drugs. It will also provide data on the drug prescribing practices of health professionals. 

These data could help identify areas that need to be improved or simplified in the management of children with bacterial infections.