Ongoing initiatives to improve the use of antibiotics in Botswana: University of Botswana symposium meeting report

The objective of this meeting was to discuss ongoing initiatives in Botswana since February 2016 to improve antibiotic use. Subsequently, use the findings to refine national and local action plans. There was a high rate of antibiotic prescribing among ambulatory care patients in the public sector (42.7%) as well as for patients with URTIs in the private sector (72.9%). Prophylactic antibiotics were given to 73.3% of surgical patients to reduce surgical site infections (SSIs) in a leading tertiary hospital in Botswana; however, SSIs at 9% of patients can be reduced further with better timing of antibiotic prophylaxis. To date, 773 patients have been enrolled into the national point prevalence study. Highlighted concerns included limited ordering and use of sensitivity tests despite functional laboratories, as well as concerns with missed doses of antibiotics across most hospitals. Activities are ongoing across sectors to address these concerns.