Knowledge, attitudes and practices toward antimicrobial use and antimicrobial resistance among animal farmers in Wadi Salih, Central Darfur, Sudan

Antibiotic resistance is an international health impendence, and there is increasing anxiety about the improper use of antibiotics in livestock, particularly in lower- and middle-income nations. The random use of antimicrobials leads to antimicrobial resistance, which means that the drugs are not effective against the microorganism due to the use of these drugs several times. This study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes and practices of animal farmers in Wadi Salih, Central Darfur, Western Sudan. We used direct interviews with animal farmers to collect the data. The results revealed that 81.9% of the animal farmers were male and that 18.1% of them were female; therefore, 30.6% of the animal farmers were 41 to 50 years old. In addition, 78.8% of the animal farmers were uneducated, while 17.5%, 32.5%, 7.5%, and 13.8% of the farmers bred cattle, goats, poultry and equines, respectively. The study revealed that 63.8% of the animal farmers were living in Garsila city, the capital of Wadi Salih. The study revealed that 54.4% of the animal farmers were aware of antimicrobial use and antimicrobial resistance, and approximately 45.6% of them did not know that; therefore, 20.6% of the animal farmers were prescribed antibiotics for bacterial diseases. We conclude that there is acceptable awareness of knowledge, attitudes and practices among animal farmers toward antimicrobial use and antimicrobial resistance in Wadi Salih. Regular awareness education, especially concerning the right use of AMU, is provided the most in the study area.