A process evaluation of the Isfahan antibiotic awareness campaign: Developing engagement on antimicrobial resistance

Background: One of the most prominent global health threats is antibiotic resistance, leading to infection treatment failure. The first Iranian antibiotic awareness week campaign was initiated to improve the prudent use and wise prescription of antibiotics. Materials and Methods: The Isfahan antibiotic awareness campaign was held from November 30 to December 6, 2019, among two targeted populations; the general population and health-care workers by Isfahan University of Medical Sciences. In this campaign held in the main squares, streets, and a city's referral hospital, various educational methods were used to aware and sensitize the general population and medical staff about antibiotics and microbial resistance. These methods include face-to-face training, brochures, advertisement posters and billboards around the city, educational videos, social media messages, retraining for medical doctors and medical specialists, and interviewing in the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcast. Results: Two hundred and twenty general practitioners, medical specialists, and residents participated in two retraining educational conferences in Al-Zahra Hospital, Isfahan, Iran. The mean score satisfaction of the two conferences was three from four. Nearly 2000 of the general population were under face-to-face educational programs whom after that, 83.6% had the correct answer to the questions around antimicrobial awareness. Conclusions: This campaign was an excellent experience as a pilot study with appealing issues. Further, activities are required to improve engagement with the target population and determine the impact of this campaign on antibiotic consumption and prescription behavior among the public and health-care professionals.