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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Vet. Sci.
Sec. Veterinary Epidemiology and Economics
Volume 11 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fvets.2024.1474307
This article is part of the Research Topic Epidemiological investigations of zoonotic viruses and research on drugs and vaccines View all 3 articles

Understanding the Veterinary Antibiotic Flow in Malawi: Complexities, Gaps and Needs

Provisionally accepted
Amos Lucky Mhone Amos Lucky Mhone 1,2*Dishon Muloi Dishon Muloi 1,3Arshnee Moodley Arshnee Moodley 1,2*
  • 1 Animal and Human Health Program, International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Nairobi, Kenya
  • 2 Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Capital Region of Denmark, Denmark
  • 3 Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, North West England, United Kingdom

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Veterinary antibiotics are essential for maintaining animal health and welfare, however, small-scale farmers in Malawi face challenges in accessing them due to limited availability, affordability, and long distances to rural drug retailers. This study mapped the veterinary antibiotic distribution chain, examined the governance structure of the chain, and analyzed access and usage practices among stakeholders in Malawi. Data were collected through focus group discussions (n=15), key informant interviews (n=6) and individual interviews (n=189). The key stakeholders identified included regulators, local pharmaceutical manufacturers, wholesalers, veterinary clinics, veterinary retail shops, animal health practitioners, and farmers. The distribution of veterinary antibiotics were characterized by both formal and informal pathways for importing and distributing veterinary medicines. Additionally, there were issues with antibiotic mishandling such as improper storage on open shelves in direct sunlight and disposal in pit latrines. There was a marked lack of proper antibiotic dispensation training among veterinary retail shop attendants, and in terms of regulation, there were gaps in coordination and overlapping mandates among regulatory authorities hindering effective regulation. Regulatory agencies need to strengthen oversight of veterinary antibiotics, conduct trainings on antibiotic stewardship with various stakeholders, and enhance public-private partnerships to better manage the informal pathways for importing and distributing veterinary medicines. This multi-sectoral approach aims to ensure responsible use and improve the pharmacovigilance of veterinary antibiotics.

    Keywords: antimicrobials, access, governance, Practices, policy

    Received: 01 Aug 2024; Accepted: 05 Nov 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Mhone, Muloi and Moodley. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence:
    Amos Lucky Mhone, Animal and Human Health Program, International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Nairobi, 00100, Kenya
    Arshnee Moodley, Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, 1870, Capital Region of Denmark, Denmark

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.