According to the research, penicillin and sulfonamide classes were the most prescribed antibiotics, accounting for approximately 65 percent, well above the recommendation of the World Health Organization (WHO), which recommends 20 to 26 percent.
There is a relatively high frequency of antibiotic prescription in the country, with a higher incidence for respiratory tract infections, denounces Eduardo Mondlane University (UEM), citing a doctoral thesis.
The treatment, entitled "Implementation of a treatment algorithm for acute respiratory infections in HIV-positive adult patients in Primary Health Care in the Cities of Maputo and Matola," by Cândido Faiela, was recently presented to obtain the degree of Doctor of Biosciences and Public Health at Eduardo Mondlane University (UEM).
According to the research, penicillin and sulfonamide classes were the most prescribed antibiotics, accounting for approximately 65 percent, well above the recommendation of the World Health Organization (WHO), which recommends 20 to 26 percent. Research conducted in health units in Maputo and Matola revealed that 34 percent of medical prescriptions did not contain any type of antibiotic. However, 48.2 percent of the prescriptions analyzed contained at least one antibiotic; 12 percent contained two types of antibiotics in the same prescription; 3.3 percent contained three antibiotics; and 2.4 percent of the prescriptions contained up to four antibiotics in the same prescription.
The researcher stated that antibiotics are widely overprescribed to treat respiratory tract infections, despite strong evidence of their viral origin. He noted that 90 percent of these infections resolve without complications for the patient, making antibiotic treatment unnecessary and not recommended.
The research was conducted in 31 health units across 10 administrative posts in the cities of Maputo and Matola. The study concludes that the lack of support tools for clinicians in the treatment of respiratory infections and the limitations of laboratory capabilities justify the use of an algorithm to mediate consultations. The research recommends that the algorithm should be implemented with the supervision of healthcare providers and an audit of antibiotic prescriptions.
(By MozaVibe)
