Non-adherence to oral antibiotics for community paediatric pneumonia treatment in Malawi – A qualitative investigation
Authors: King C, Nightingale R, Phiri T, Zadutsa B, Kainja E, Makwenda C, Colbourn T, Stevenson F
Published in: PlosOne.2018;31;13(10):e0206404.
Background
Pneumonia remains the leading cause of paediatric infectious mortality globally. Treatment failure, which can result from non-adherence to oral antibiotics, can lead to poor outcomes and therefore improving adherence could be a strategy to reduce pneumonia related morbidity and mortality. However, there is little published evidence from low-resource settings for the drivers of non-adherence to oral antibiotics in children.
Objective
We aimed to investigate reasons for adherence and non-adherence in children diagnosed and treated in the community with fast-breathing pneumonia in rural Malawi.
Methods
We conducted focus group discussions (FGDs) with caregivers of children known to have been diagnosed and treated with oral antibiotics for fast-breathing pneumonia in the community and key informant interviews with community healthcare workers (CHW). FGDs and interviews were conducted within communities in Chichewa, the local language. We used a framework approach to analyze the transcripts.