Status of Antimicrobial Stewardship in Hospitals in Aden, Yemen

Antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) is a very important strategy to combat antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Practicing AMS in national hospitals to improve antibiotic prescribing is a key prevention strategy for resistance. The implementation of this program is lacking in Yemen. The objective of this study was to evaluate the status of AMS in hospitals in Aden, Yemen, and highlight the importance of the development and implementation of the AMS program. Trained pharmacy students was distributed structured questionnaire to all hospitals in Aden. Responses were received from all hospitals in Aden. Among fifteen hospitals, only two hospitals reported the practice of AMS. The main barriers to implementing AMS programs in hospitals were perceived to be the lack of the following factors: funding (6/15 hospitals, 40%), information technology (2/15 hospitals, 13.3%) and awareness of administration (7/15 hospitals, 46.7%). Our findings show that AMS implementation among hospitals varied considerably. However, comprehensive AMS programs can be launched in facilities of any size, but hospital leadership support for AMS is essential for the establishment of these initiatives. Our results encourage and support the prudent implementation of AMS with a vision to promote a national stewardship framework.