Assessing knowledge, attitude, and practices of veterinarians towards antimicrobial use and stewardship as drivers of inappropriate use in Abuja, Nigeria

INTRODUCTION: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has recently gained worldwide recognition, as the emergence of multi-drug resistant organisms has led to increased mortality and economic burden. This study aimed to assess knowledge, attitudes, and practices of veterinarians towards rational antimicrobial prescribing and identify factors influencing use. METHODS: We interviewed veterinary doctors in Abuja, Nigeria using a 50-point questionnaire distributed via WhatsApp mobile application. The questionnaire inquired about their experiences, knowledge, attitudes, and practices towards AMR and stewardship. We analyzed the data by calculating frequencies and proportions. RESULTS: Of 220 registered veterinarians, 144 (65.5%) participated in the survey. Most (52.8%) were within the age group 30 - 39 years; males (72.2%), with a Master’s degree (42.4%) and worked in public service (44.4%). Three-quarters (75.7%) had good knowledge of antimicrobials; 47.2% had received training on stewardship while 88.9% reported that they believed that overuse of antimicrobials was the major contributory factor towards AMR. Antimicrobial stewardship regulations are important in veterinary practice. Veterinarians were aware of the occurrence of resistant pathogens and agreed that restricting antimicrobial use in animal health care was necessary to reduce AMR. CONCLUSION: Most respondents referred to the veterinary formulary (VF) when in doubt of the appropriate antimicrobial agent to administer. We recommend that the VF be updated following the WHO list of critically-important-antimicrobials (CIA) and veterinarians educated not to use these CIAs in the treatment of food animals. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s42522-021-00058-3.