Antibiotic stewardship and point-of-care testing for children in 25 low-income and lower-middle-income countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Inappropriate antibiotic use is a key driver of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), a growing global threat that disproportionately affects children in low and lower-middle-income countries (LLMICs). In response, the WHO Global Research Agenda for Antimicrobial Resistance in Human Health prioritises research on antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs, formally introduced in 2007) and feasible point-of-care testing (POCT) in paediatric populations, where evidence on implementation and effectiveness remains limited. We aimed to address this gap and inform the design and scale-up of paediatric-focused strategies via a systematic review and meta-analysis on the impact of ASPs and POCTs in children in LLMICs.

Methods

For this systematic review and meta-analysis, we search

SUBMITTER: Gres E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12686889 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature