TITLE:
Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of Antimicrobial Use and Resistance among Village Animal Health Workers and Veterinary Drug Retailers in Cambodia
AUTHORS:
Bunna Chea, Sokom Kong, Sokha Thim, Naiheak Ban, Rithy Chrun, Vutey Venn, Cherry Fernandez-Colorado, Kroesna Kang
KEYWORDS:
Antimicrobial Use, Antimicrobial Resistance, Attitudes, Knowledge, Practices
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Animal Sciences,
Vol.13 No.1,
January
10,
2023
ABSTRACT: Misuse, overuse, and missed prescription of
antimicrobials are the driving factors to antimicrobial resistance (AMR)
leading to a globally increasing public health concern. This study was conducted
to assess the current knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of village
animal health workers (VAHWs) and veterinary drug retailers (VDRs) on
antimicrobial use (AMU) and antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The sample size was
calculated following [1]. KAP data were scored and categorized following
Bloom’s cut-off score. A total of 108 study populations (66 VAHWs and 42 VDRs) were purposively surveyed
using a validated KAP questionnaire in 5 provinces across Cambodia. This study
found that VAHWs and VDRs have moderate levels of knowledge (61% to 65%) and
good attitudes towards AMU (83% to 84%) but employed moderate practices (59% to
74%) on AMU. VAHWs had moderate (66%); while DVRs had poor knowledge (58%) on
AMR. Thus, regular awareness education specifically on proper use, prudent use,
and stewardships on AMU and AMR in the form of refresher training or awareness
events must be provided to VAHWs and VDRs to avoid inappropriate use of
antimicrobials and spreading the AMR knowledge across Cambodia.