Healthcare professionals in Mogadishu demonstrate a paradoxical commitment to antimicrobial stewardship principles that outpaces their actual understanding of the science behind them. A new cross-sectional study of 426 healthcare workers across seven hospitals in Somalia, published in PLOS Global Public Health, reveals that while 78.6 percent endorse stewardship-aligned attitudes, their knowledge scores tell a different story.
The research found that physicians, nurses, pharmacists, midwives, laboratory technicians, and allied clinical staff scored only 69.3 percent on general antibiotic knowledge and 72.1 percent on antimicrobial stewardship awareness. Despite moderate overall scores, the study identified persistent misconceptions about antibiotic use across all professional roles. Editorially reviewed by Prof. Giorgi Pkhakadze, MD, MPH, PhD, the findings highlight a critical gap between intention and competence that undermines antimicrobial resistance control efforts in fragile health systems.
Read the full article on GMJ Newsroom.
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