ArticleIJID regions2024
Prevalence of antibiotic self-medication and knowledge of antimicrobial resistance among community members in Neno District rural Malawi: A cross-sectional study.
Article in IJID regions, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.
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Who cites it
5 citing papers in PubMed.
- Animal husbandry and environmental conditions are associated with cefotaxime-resistantmedRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences · 2026Article
- Animal husbandry and environmental conditions are associated with cefotaxime-resistant Escherichia coli in yard soil in peri-urban Malawi.PLOS global public health · 2026Article
- Self-care strategies and interventions to address antimicrobial resistance: evidence review and recommendations for national programs, service providers, caregivers, and self-carers.Frontiers in public health · 2026Review
- "Miss, I want itchy medicine": Understanding what, why, and how antibiotics are used in Central Java province, Indonesia through the drug bag method.PLOS global public health · 2026Article
- Surveying Self-Medication Practices and Attitudes Toward Antibiotic Use Among Adults in Primary Care.Cureus · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
9 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Objectives: Despite global efforts to address antibiotic self-medication, it is still significantly prevalent. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of antibiotic self-medication and assess knowledge of antibiotic resistance among community members in Neno District, rural Malawi. Methods: A cross-sectional, community-based study was conducted from September to November 2023, using simple random sampling across 169 villages. Participants from two households per village were surveyed using a "drug bag" method, focusing on those who had taken antibiotics within the preceding 6 months. In addition, drug retailers were selected via snowball sampling for interviews. Results: Of the 531 participants and 39 drug retailers, 71.1% reported antibiotic use, with 69.5% self-medicating in the past 6 months, with convenience (31.5%) and confidence (26.7%) being the reasons. Common symptoms prompting self-medication included cough (29.9%), sore throat (28.6%), and aches and pain (28.6%). Amoxicillin (61.1%) and cotrimoxazole (29.6%) were the most used antibiotics. More than half (53.1%) reused leftover antibiotics from health facilities, with employed participants significantly more likely to self-medicate. Awareness of antibiotic resistance was low (16.1%), mainly learned from hospitals. Unlawful antibiotic sales by drug retailers (46.2%) were noted. Conclusions: The study highlights the urgent need for government-led efforts to regulate antibiotic use and increase public awareness to mitigate the impact on public health.
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