{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,1]],"date-time":"2026-04-01T18:52:03Z","timestamp":1775069523847,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":26,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"4","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,3]],"date-time":"2025-04-03T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1743638400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Swedish Research Council and Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency","award":["2019-021"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2019-021"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Antibiotics"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background\/Objectives: Antimicrobial use (AMU) in livestock drives antimicrobial resistance (AMR). AMR has a significant impact on public health. While several interventions have been used to address this challenge, few have utilized Information and Communication Technology (ICT) approaches. The objective of this study was to pilot and assess an ICT system to monitor the use of veterinary drugs and disseminate information to farmers in peri-urban smallholder poultry systems in Kenya. Methods: The system was developed in collaboration with the stakeholders. It captures drug sales in veterinary pharmacies and disease incidence and treatments reported by farmers. The system was piloted from May 2023 to December 2023. Monthly follow-ups were conducted to monitor progress and address problems. Assessment was performed through focus group discussions with the users (two with farmers and two with veterinary pharmacy staff) and descriptive statistics of the data collected by the system. Results: A total of 15,725 records were obtained from veterinary pharmacies, including antibiotics (57%), dewormers (22%), and vitamins (11%). Requests for a specific product were recorded in 38% of the sales, while 63% were accompanied by some evidence (empty drug containers, old packages, old prescriptions, pictures of sick birds, and actual sick birds). A total of 91 records were obtained from the farmers. The health problems reported were mostly respiratory (40%) and digestive (30%) disorders. The percentage of customers who requested advice on animal health when visiting veterinary pharmacies ranged from 5 to 20%. Conclusions: AMU can be improved in the study area. The piloted system may help policymakers monitor the sales and usage of antibiotics, improve animal health management, and promote responsible AMU.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/antibiotics14040373","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,3]],"date-time":"2025-04-03T04:33:43Z","timestamp":1743654823000},"page":"373","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Piloting an Information and Communication Technology Tool to Help Addressing the Challenge of Antimicrobial Resistance in Low-Income Countries"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"14","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1007-5511","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Florence","family":"Mutua","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"International Livestock Research Institute, Nairobi 00100, Kenya"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4245-1232","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Joshua Orungo","family":"Onono","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Public Health, Pharmacology & Toxicology, University of Nairobi, Nairobi 00100, Kenya"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8072-7132","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sofia","family":"Boqvist","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Animal Biosciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 75007 Uppsala, Sweden"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0002-3110-1720","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Patricia","family":"Koech","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"International Livestock Research Institute, Nairobi 00100, Kenya"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0002-4471-7110","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Abdullahi M.","family":"Abdi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"International Livestock Research Institute, Nairobi 00100, Kenya"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Hildah","family":"Karimi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"International Livestock Research Institute, Nairobi 00100, Kenya"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7907-8377","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Susanna","family":"Sternberg-Lewerin","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Animal Biosciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 75007 Uppsala, Sweden"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,3]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"181","DOI":"10.1186\/s13756-020-00847-x","article-title":"Antimicrobial Use in Food Animals and Human Health: Time to Implement \u2018One Health\u2019 Approach","volume":"9","author":"Pokharel","year":"2020","journal-title":"Antimicrob. Resist. Infect. Control"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e201","DOI":"10.1016\/S2214-109X(23)00539-9","article-title":"The Burden of Bacterial Antimicrobial Resistance in the WHO African Region in 2019: A Cross-Country Systematic Analysis","volume":"12","author":"Sartorius","year":"2024","journal-title":"Lancet Glob. Health"},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"McEwen, S.A., and Collignon, P.J. (2018). Antimicrobial Resistance: A One Health Perspective. Microbiol. Spectr., 6.","DOI":"10.1128\/microbiolspec.ARBA-0009-2017"},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"33","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijmm.2006.01.059","article-title":"Guidelines for Prudent Use of Antimicrobials and Their Implications on Antibiotic Usage in Veterinary Medicine","volume":"296","author":"Ungemach","year":"2006","journal-title":"Int. J. Med. Microbiol."},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"5649","DOI":"10.1073\/pnas.1503141112","article-title":"Global trends in antimicrobial use in food animals","volume":"112","author":"Brower","year":"2015","journal-title":"Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA"},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Caudell, M.A., Quinlan, M.B., Subbiah, M., Call, D.R., Roulette, C.J., Roulette, J.W., Roth, A., Matthews, L., and Quinla, R.J. (2017). Antimicrobial Use and Veterinary Care among Agro-Pastoralists in Northern Tanzania. PLoS ONE, 12.","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0170328"},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"112","DOI":"10.1016\/j.fct.2015.12.020","article-title":"Health concerns and management of select veterinary drug residues","volume":"88","author":"Baynes","year":"2016","journal-title":"Food Chem. Toxicol."},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"100647","DOI":"10.1016\/j.onehlt.2023.100647","article-title":"Evaluating the Contribution of Antimicrobial Use in Farmed Animals to Global Antimicrobial Resistance in Humans","volume":"17","author":"Ardakani","year":"2023","journal-title":"One Health"},{"key":"ref_9","unstructured":"O\u2019Neill, J. (2016). Review on Antimicrobial Resistance: Tackling Drug-Resistant Infections Globally, Wellcome Trust. Available online: https:\/\/amr-review.org\/sites\/default\/files\/160518_Final%20paper_with%20cover.pdf."},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Chattopadhyay, M.K. (2014). Use of Antibiotics as Feed Additives: A Burning Question. Front. Microbiol., 5.","DOI":"10.3389\/fmicb.2014.00334"},{"key":"ref_11","unstructured":"World Health Organization (2015). Global Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance, World Health Organization. Available online: https:\/\/www.who.int\/publications\/i\/item\/9789241509763."},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"31","DOI":"10.1093\/jac\/dkac342","article-title":"Systematic Review of Surveillance Systems for AMR in Africa","volume":"78","author":"Okolie","year":"2023","journal-title":"J. Antimicrob. Chemother."},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e14","DOI":"10.1186\/s13756-020-0697-x","article-title":"Antimicrobial Use and Resistance in Food-Producing Animals and the Environment: An African Perspective","volume":"9","author":"Kimera","year":"2020","journal-title":"Antimicrob. Resist. Infect. Control"},{"key":"ref_14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Musa, K., Okoliegbe, I., Abdalaziz, T., Aboushady, A.T., Stelling, J., and Gould, I.M. (2023). Laboratory Surveillance, Quality Management, and Its Role in Addressing Antimicrobial Resistance in Africa: A Narrative Review. Antibiotics, 12.","DOI":"10.3390\/antibiotics12081313"},{"key":"ref_15","unstructured":"World Health Organization (2022). Kenya National Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance: Review of Progress in the Human Health Sector, World Health Organization. Available online: https:\/\/www.who.int\/publications\/i\/item\/9789240062689."},{"key":"ref_16","first-page":"14","article-title":"Antimicrobial Usage in Broiler Farms in Peri-Urban Nairobi Kenya","volume":"4","author":"Muthuma","year":"2016","journal-title":"Am. J. Res. Commun."},{"key":"ref_17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3","DOI":"10.1186\/s13756-022-01202-y","article-title":"Antibiotic Use by Poultry Farmers in Kiambu County, Kenya: Exploring Practices and Drivers of Potential Overuse","volume":"12","author":"Kariuki","year":"2023","journal-title":"Antimicrob. Resist. Infect. Control"},{"key":"ref_18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Mutua, F., Kiarie, G., Mbatha, M., Onono, J., Boqvist, S., Kilonzi, E., Mugisha, L., Moodley, A., and Sternberg-Lewerin, S. (2023). Antimicrobial Use by Peri-Urban Poultry Smallholders of Kajiado and Machakos Counties in Kenya. Antibiotics, 12.","DOI":"10.3390\/antibiotics12050905"},{"key":"ref_19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Rware, H., Kansiime, K.M., Idah, M., Makale, F., Ikiror, D., Wako, B., Danielsen, S., Karanja, D., Chacha, D., and Byskov, M. (2024). Examining Antibiotic Use in Kenya: Farmers\u2019 Knowledge and Practices in Addressing Antibiotic Resistance. CABI Agric. Biosci., 5.","DOI":"10.1186\/s43170-024-00240-3"},{"key":"ref_20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Njenga, M.K., Kemunto, N., Kahariri, S., Holmstrom, L., Oyas, H., Biggers, K., Riddle, A., Gachohi, J., Muturi, M., and Mwatondo, A. (2021). High real-time reporting of domestic and wild animal diseases following rollout of mobile phone reporting system in Kenya. PLoS ONE, 16.","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0244119"},{"key":"ref_21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Sternberg-Lewerin, S., Onono, J.O., Boqvist, S., Mugisha, L., Kihara, W., Lindfors, L., Strandell, K., and Mutua, F. (2025). Development of an Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Tool for Monitoring of Antimicrobial Use, Animal Disease and Treatment Outcome in Low-Income Countries. Antibiotics, 14.","DOI":"10.3390\/antibiotics14030285"},{"key":"ref_22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"90","DOI":"10.1016\/S2221-6189(13)60022-0","article-title":"Syndromic Surveillance: A Necessary Public Health Tool","volume":"1","author":"Lateef","year":"2012","journal-title":"J. Acute Dis."},{"key":"ref_23","unstructured":"Veterinary Medicines Directorate Kenya (2025, March 11). The Veterinary Surgeons and Veterinary Paraprofessionals Act, Available online: https:\/\/vmd.go.ke\/sites\/default\/files\/2022-10\/DRAFT%20VETERINARY%20MEDICINES%20DIRECTORATE%20REGULATIONS%202022.pdf."},{"key":"ref_24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Toghroli, R., Hassani, L., Aghamolaei, T., Sharma, M., Sharifi, H., and Jajarmi, M. (2024). Explaining the barriers faced by veterinarians against preventing antimicrobial resistance: An innovative interdisciplinary qualitative study. BMC Infect. Dis., 24.","DOI":"10.1186\/s12879-024-09352-7"},{"key":"ref_25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"632","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jiph.2023.02.020","article-title":"Prevention of Antimicrobial Resistance in Sub-Saharan Africa: What Has Worked? What Still Needs to Be Done?","volume":"16","author":"Moyo","year":"2023","journal-title":"J. Infect. Public Health"},{"key":"ref_26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Kiambi, S., Mwanza, R., Sirma, A., Czerniak, C., Kimani, T., Kabali, E., Dorado-Garcia, A., Eckford, S., Price, C., and Gikonyo, S. (2021). Understanding Antimicrobial Use Contexts in the Poultry Sector: Challenges for Small-Scale Layer Farms in Kenya. Antibiotics, 10.","DOI":"10.3390\/antibiotics10020106"}],"container-title":["Antibiotics"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2079-6382\/14\/4\/373\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,9]],"date-time":"2025-10-09T17:09:12Z","timestamp":1760029752000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2079-6382\/14\/4\/373"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,3]]},"references-count":26,"journal-issue":{"issue":"4","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,4]]}},"alternative-id":["antibiotics14040373"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/antibiotics14040373","relation":{},"ISSN":["2079-6382"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2079-6382","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,3]]}}}