Informal healthcare providers (IHCPs) are predominant healthcare providers in rural India, who prescribe without formal training. Antibiotic prescription by IHCPs could provide crucial information for controlling antibiotic resistance. The aim of this study is to determine the practices and seasonal changes in antibiotic prescribing for common illnesses by IHCPs. A repeated cross-sectional study was conducted over 18 months, covering different seasons in the rural demographic surveillance site, at Ujjain, India. Prescriptions given to outpatients by 12 IHCPs were collected. In total, 15,322 prescriptions for 323 different complaint combinations were analyzed, of which 11,336 (74%) included antibiotics. The results showed that 14,620 (95%) of antibiotics prescribed were broad spectrum and the most commonly prescribed were fluoroquinolones (4771,31%), followed by penicillin with an extended spectrum (4119,27%) and third-generation cephalosporin (3069,20%). Antibiotics were prescribed more frequently in oral and dental problems (1126,88%), fever (3569,87%), and upper respiratory tract infections (3273, 81%); more during the monsoon season (2350,76%); and more frequently to children (3340,81%) than to adults (7996,71%). The study concludes that antibiotics were the more commonly prescribed drugs compared to other medications for common illnesses, most of which are broad-spectrum antibiotics, a situation that warrants further investigations followed by immediate and coordinated efforts to reduce unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions by IHCPs.

Globally, Antibiotic resistance is a major public health concern, with antibiotic use contributing significantly. Targeting informal healthcare providers (IHCPs) is important to achieve universal health coverage and effective antibiotic stewardship in resource-constrained settings. We, therefore, aimed to analyse the internal and external drivers that influence IHCPs’ prescribing behaviour for common illnesses in children under five, with an emphasis on antibiotic use in rural areas of India. A total of 48 IHCPs participated in focus group discussions. Thematic framework analysis with an inductive approach was used, and findings were collated in the theoretical framework based on knowledge, attitude, and practice model which depicted that the decisions made by IHCPs while prescribing antibiotics are complex and influenced by a variety of external and internal drivers. IHCPs’ internal drivers included the misconception that it is impossible to treat a patient without antibiotics and that antibiotics increase the effectiveness of other drugs and cure patients faster in order to retain them. Formal healthcare providers were the IHCPs’ sources of information, which influences their antibiotic prescribing. We found when it comes to seeking healthcare in rural areas, the factors that influence their choice include ‘rapid cure’, ‘cost of treatment’, ‘distance’ and ‘24 h availability’, instead of qualification, which may create pressure for IHCPs to provide a quick fix. Targeted and coordinated efforts at all levels will be needed to change the antibiotic prescribing practices of IHCPs with a focus on behaviour change and to help resolve misconceptions about antibiotics.

Objective: Informal healthcare providers (IHCPs) play a big role in health systems in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs) and are often the first point of contact for healthcare in rural and underserved areas where formal healthcare infrastructure is insufficient or absent. This study was performed to systematically review the literature on interventions targeting IHCPs in improving the delivery of healthcare services in LMICs.Methods: PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane CENTRAL databases were searched for studies that assessed any type of intervention among IHCPs to improve the delivery of healthcare services in any LMIC. Outcomes included changes in knowledge, attitude, and reported practice of appropriate case diagnosis and management; improved referral services; effective contraceptive use; and medication appropriateness (PROSPERO ID: CRD42024521739).Results: A total of 7,255 studies were screened and 38 were included. Most of the studies were conducted in Africa and Asia. The IHCPs who were trained included medicine sellers, community health workers/traditional healers, and traditional birth attendants. The main intervention used was educational programs in the form of training. The other interventions were health services, policy and guidelines, and community-based interventions. Most of the interventions were multi-faceted. The disease/service areas targeted were mainly maternal and child health, sexually transmitted diseases, common infectious diseases, medicine use/dispensing practices, and contraception. The outcomes that showed improvements were knowledge, attitude, and reported practice; diagnosis and case management; improved referral services; contraceptive uses; and medication appropriateness. Around one-fourth of the studies reported negative results. The certainty of evidence generated (GRADE criteria) was very low.Conclusion: Some multifaceted interventions coupled with training showed improvements in the delivery of healthcare services by IHCPs. However, the improvements were inconsistent. Hence, it is unclear to identify any context-specific optimum intervention to improve the delivery of healthcare services by IHCPs.

Objectives To explore the healthcare-seeking pathways, antibiotic prescribing and determine the sociodemographic factors associated with healthcare-seeking behaviour (HSB) of caregivers for common illnesses in under-5 (U-5) children in rural Ujjain, India. Study design Prospective cohort study. Study setting and study sample The cohort included 270 U-5 children from selected six villages in rural demographic surveillance site, of the R.D. Gardi Medical College, Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, India. A community-based cohort was visited two times weekly for over 113 weeks (August 2014 to October 2016) to record the HSB of caregivers using HSB diaries. Sociodemographic information was also solicited. Primary and secondary outcome measures Primary outcomes: first point of care, healthcare-seeking pathway and quantify antibiotic prescribing for the common acute illnesses. Secondary outcome HSB risk factors were determined using mixed-effects multinomial logistic regression. Results A total of 60 228 HSB follow-up time points for 270 children were recorded with a total of 2161 acute illness episodes. The most common illnesses found were respiratory tract infections (RTI) (69%) and gastrointestinal tract infections (8%). No healthcare was sought in 33% of illness episodes, mostly for RTIs. The most common healthcare-seeking pathway was to informal healthcare providers (IHCPs, 49% of illness episodes). The adjusted relative risk for obtaining no treatment, home treatment and treatment by IHCPs was higher for RTIs (aRR=11.54, 1.82 and 1.29, respectively), illiterate mothers (aRR=2.86, 2.38 and 1.93, respectively), and mothers who were homemakers (aRR=2.90, 4.17 and 2.10, respectively). Socioeconomic status was associated with HSB, with the highest aRR for no treatment in the lowest two socioeconomic quintiles (aRR=6.59 and 6.39, respectively). Antibiotics were prescribed in 46% (n=670/1450) illness episodes and the majority (85%, n=572/670) were broad spectrum. Conclusion In our rural cohort for many acute episodes of illnesses, no treatment or home treatment was done, which resulted in overall reduced antibiotic prescribing. The most common healthcare-seeking pathway was to visit IHCPs, which indicates that they are major healthcare providers in rural areas. Most of the antibiotics were prescribed by IHCPs and were commonly prescribed for illnesses where they were not indicated.

The article delves into the prevalent issue of refractive errors, a common visual problem affecting a substantial portion of the global population, and particularly emphasizes its growing occurrence among school-going children. The surge in digital device usage due to the COVID-19 pandemic has amplified concerns, as extended screen time contributes in worsening the existing problem of poor vision. The article underscores the multifaceted impact of unaddressed refractive errors on children, including hindered academic performance, impaired social interactions, and a sedentary lifestyle. Socioeconomic and demographic factors play a role in the prevalence of refractive errors, with limited access to eye care services disproportionately affecting lower-income families. The importance of early diagnosis and intervention is highlighted to prevent unwanted consequences. A significant portion of the article explores the potential role of yoga in mitigating refractive errors. Yoga's holistic approach, incorporating eye exercises, mindfulness, stress reduction, and outdoor practice, offers promise in promoting eye health. While acknowledging that yoga may not correct refractive errors, the article emphasizes its potential to reduce eye strain caused by screen time and near-work activities, ultimately fostering healthier habits and overall well-being in children. The article concludes by emphasizing the need for complementary practices alongside standard eye care to ensure children's visual health and academic success while suggesting that embracing yoga could be a step toward safeguarding children's eye health and quality of life.

Background: The global expansion of antibiotic-resistant bacteria is a serious concern and is increasing worldwide in both pathogenic and commensal bacteria. The study determined the correlation between individual child-level antibiotic consumption and antibiotic resistance among the commensal Escherichia coli (E.coli) in a cohort of 125 children in rural Ujjain, India. Methods: During a two-year period between August 2014 and September 2016, stool samples were collected at seven-time points from a cohort of 125 children; aged 1– 3. A total of six colonies of E.coli per stool sample were collected for antibiotic susceptibility testing. Antibiotic consumption data was collected during the healthcare-seeking follow–up done during the same period. At each of the seven-time points correlation between antibiotic consumption (Defined Daily Dose-DDD/100 patient-days) and antibiotic resistance (number of resistant isolates) was analyzed independently using the Spearman correlation coefficient. Further, mixed-effects logistic regression models were built to study correlation between child-level consumption of penicillin with the number of E.coli isolates resistant to ampicillin, consumption of cephalosporin with resistance to cefotaxime and ceftazidime, consumption of fluoroquinolones with resistance to nalidixic acid and consumption of cotrimoxazole with resistance to cotrimoxazole. Results: Out of 756 illness episodes reported in 125 children 42% were with antibiotic prescriptions and reported a total antibiotic consumption of 55DDD/100 patient-days. The most common antibiotics used were cefixime (J01DD08;72 DDD/100patient/days) followed by ofloxacin (J01MA01;51DDD/100patient-days), cefpodoxime (J01DD13;38DDD/100patient-days) and amoxicillin (J01CA04;28DDD/100patient-days). The highest percentage of resistance was found to the ampicillin (67%) followed by nalidixic acid (52%) and cefotaxime (44%) and when summarized, more than 90% were resistant to cefotaxime, ceftazidime, and co-trimoxazole in commensal E.coli isolates. The consumption of cephalosporins showed weak positive correlation with the resistance to cefotaxime (Coefficient±SE=0.13 ± 0.09,p< 0.001). Conclusion: Our findings showed no correlation between individual-level antibiotic consumption and resistance development in commensal E.coli in a rural community environment.