Africa CDC and CDDEP release African Antibiotic Treatment Guidelines for Common Bacterial Infections and Syndromes

An interdisciplinary panel of infectious disease clinicians and public health experts led by the Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics & Policy (CDDEP) and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have released a first edition of the African Antibiotic Treatment Guidelines for Common Bacterial Infections and Syndromes.

Africa Union (AU) Member States and public health stakeholders have identified the lack of locally developed clinical treatment guidelines that define when to treat infections and what appropriate antimicrobial agents to use as a major barrier to providing quality healthcare and mitigating the emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Except for selected diseases, such as HIV, TB, and malaria, healthcare providers in Africa have traditionally had to use their individual judgment or rely on guidelines developed outside of Africa to guide the treatment of infectious diseases.

The African Antibiotic Treatment Guidelines for Common Bacterial Infections and Syndromes aim to fills this gap by providing healthcare workers across the African continent with expert recommendations for antimicrobial selection, dosage, and duration of treatment for common bacterial infections and syndromes among pediatric and adult patient populations. The guidelines also aim to promote the appropriate use of antimicrobials to mitigate the emergence and spread of antimicrobial-resistant pathogens.

The guidelines were based on a review of existing national standard or clinical treatment guidelines from AU member states and international organizations, available AMR data, and clinical expertise from physicians, pharmacists, and other healthcare workers involved in the treatment of infectious diseases across more than 15 AU member states. The treatment recommendations are intended to complement existing national and international clinical treatment guidelines, where available, and to provide a template for local adaption in their absence. The guidelines are intended for use by clinicians, nurses, pharmacists, and other personnel involved in the treatment of infectious diseases or dispensing of antimicrobials in Africa.