Over the past five weeks, the CAMO-Net Uganda team has visited Mbarara, Soroti, Mbale, Gulu, Jinja, Arua, Lira, Kabale and Masaka Regional Referral Hospitals to share findings from studies on antibiotic use trends and the economic burden of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The data, collected from these very hospitals, was returned to the health workers whose daily decisions influence antibiotic use, creating space for dialogue and reflection on emerging resistance patterns across the country.
Health workers engaged with the findings, discussed their prescribing practices, and raised important questions about improving antibiotic stewardship. At Mbale Regional Referral Hospital, Dr Barugahare Banson – an immunologist at the hospital and Chair of the Antimicrobial Stewardship Committee at Busitema University Medical School – noted how uncommon it is for frontline staff to receive feedback from research teams. “We are often asked to provide data, but we rarely see what comes of it. It’s encouraging that the CAMO-Net team returned to show us how our prescribing practices are shaping resistance trends.” This sentiment was echoed across the other hospitals visited.
The discussions also raised systemic challenges, including the ease of accessing antibiotics over the counter outside hospital settings, and the need for stronger regulatory frameworks and clearer policy guidance to manage antibiotic access in both public and private healthcare sectors. This dissemination activity marks an important step in translating research into practice and underlines the value of evidence-based decision-making at all levels of care.
