CULTURED OF ABUSED AND RESISTANT TO ANTIBACTERIAL DRUGS IN RURAL AND URBAN SETTINGS IN SOUTH WEST NIGERIA

Background: The development of effective and safe drugs to deal with bacterial infections has reduced morbidity and mortality from microbial disease. Nevertheless, the emergence of drug-resistant organisms as a result of environmental flexibility and genetic adaptability had imposes serious constraints on the options available for the medical treatment of many bacterial infections. Bacteria can spread resistance in bacterial populations from person to person. The study aimed at identifying specifics cultural factors, demographic factors and institutional factors in rural and urban settings in Ibadan, Nigeria that favours resistance to antibacterial drugs. Methodology: The study was conducted in two communities (rural and urban) in Ibadan, Nigeria. Source of drugs for the communities were identified. Ten in-depth interviews and ten key-informants interview were conducted with four Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) respondents. Households’ recall and investigation of antibiotics usage in the households in the past Six weeks prior to the study was conducted. The results were analyzed contextually and ethnographically. Results: The results revealed that 80% of the Households had remnants antibiotics from the previous prescriptions filled. The adherence to antibiotics is very low in both urban and rural communities. The 60% respondents in the rural setting had incomplete filing of prescriptions on antibiotics. The concept of pharmaceutical and community health nursing care was not adhered to in both communities. The respondents’ complaint that neither pharmacists nor the community health nurses told them the detailed information on effect of non-adherence and how it can leads to Drug ?Resistant-Bacteria (“Superbugs”). Abused is more prevalent in males to females (2:1). In addition, mothers in urban - rural abused was 4:1. Only 20% of the urban mothers have not wrongly used antibiotics on their children. The ratio of abused of antibiotics in educated and non-educated is 1:4, Also, it was discovered that the poor socio-economic status of the respondents was a major hindrance to drug abuse. Conclusion: Rise in drug-resistant bacteria “superbugs” mainly is a consequence of the overuse, inappropriate, and misuse of antibiotics which cut across geographical, economic and social boundaries in the two communities. The two communities are already reporting ineffectiveness and lack of confidence in the common antibiotics found in the communities. Pharmaceutical and community health nursing care interventions are needed in the communities to safeguard the health of the populace against bacteria resistance.