Colleagues from the BIRDY study group looked at data accumulated from 2012-2018 in a mother-child cohort, where children were followed up prospectively for up to 24 months in both rural and urban communities in Cambodia, Madagascar and Senegal.

An alarming 76.5% of antibiotic prescriptions were deemed unnecessary according to an algorithm that was developed using internationally recognised clinical guidelines. Inappropriately treated conditions included rhinopharyngitis, gastroenteritis in the absence of blood in the stool and uncomplicated bronchiolitis.

Read the full article published recently in PLOS Medicine.