Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a leading global health threat, increasing morbidity, mortality, and costs, with excessive and irrational use of antimicrobials contributing to the development of AMR. Consequently, the aims of this study were to evaluate the understanding of antibiotic use, AMR, and antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) among pharmacy technicians serving in ambulatory healthcare settings in Pakistan. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among pharmacy technicians serving in 144 ambulatory care settings in seven districts of Punjab province using a validated questionnaire. Overall, 376 technicians completed the survey (85.8% response rate). The majority were men (89.1%), aged 25–35 years (45.1%), serving in emergency departments (43.9%) and filling 31–60 prescriptions per day (37.5%). Most (79.5%) knew that antibiotics were one of the most frequently prescribed drug classes, while 59.8% believed antibiotics for common colds did not speed up recovery. Inadequate duration (59.6%) and inadequate dosages (57.7%) of antibiotic therapy were reported as the leading causes of AMR. Terms including ‘superbugs’, ‘multidrug resistance’, and ‘extensively drug resistance’ were known to 42.0%, 25.3%, and 20.7% of participants, respectively; however, <10% knew about ASPs, including their core elements and purpose. Our study revealed that pharmacy technicians have adequate awareness of antibiotic use but are currently unaware of AMR and ASPs, which is a concern.

Objective: Infection prevention and control (IPC) measures are easily adoptable activities to prevent the spread of infection to patients as well as among health-care workers (HCWs). Methods: This cross-sectional study evaluated the adherence to IPC measures among HCWs working at coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) treatment centers in Punjab, Pakistan. HCWs were recruited by means of convenient sampling through Google Form® using the World Health Organization risk assessment tool. All data were analyzed using SPSS 20. Results: A total of 414 HCWs completed the survey (response rate = 67.8%), and majority of them were males (56.3%). Most of the HCWs were nurses (39.6%) followed by medical doctors (27.3%). Approximately 53% reported insufficiency of personal protective equipment (PPE), 58.2% did not receive IPC training and 40.8% did not have functional IPC team at their health facilities. The majority of HCWs (90%) used disposable gloves and N95 facemasks while interacting with COVID-19 patients. Nearly 45% used protective face shields and gowns before providing care to their patients. Hand hygiene practices while touching, and performing any aseptic procedure was adopted by 70.5% and 74.1% of HCWs, respectively. Conclusions: In conclusion, the adherence to IPC measures among Pakistani HCWs working in COVID-19 treatment centers is good despite the limited availability of PPEs. Their practices can be optimized by establishing institutional IPC teams, periodic provision of IPC training, and necessary PPE.

Background: In addition to physical welfare, reproductive health is also vital for psychological well-being. All stages of reproduction can take place safely if reproductive health is well cared for, and it ultimately leads to the formation of healthy new offspring. The aim of this study is to know about reproductive healthrelated knowledge and practices in women of reproductive age in an underdeveloped area in Pakistan and to identify the associated factors that give a meaningful impact on reproductive health. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out among women of childbearing age in underdeveloped areas in the province of Punjab, Pakistan. A sample of 400 was taken on a random basis. All the relevant data were collected from February 1, 2022, to August 30, 2022, with the help of a structured questionnaire, designed specifically for the study, informed consent was taken from all of the participants before data collection. Questions were asked about their menstrual cycles, use of contraceptives, knowledge about sexually transmitted diseases, screening of cervical cancer, pap test, human papillomavirus vaccine, and related to home or hospital deliveries. Socioeconomic classes were defined by different income ranges per month as lower class, upper lower class, middle class, upper middle class, and upper class.Results: Ten percent of participants with education up to fifth grade have never used any method of contraception while 70% of participants who studied up to eighth grade never used the same. In lower class and upper lower class, the prevalence is 33.3% and 41.7%, respectively. The prevalence of screening for cervical cancer is 50% in married women and 60% in the upper middle class. Of women with education up to eighth grade, 65% answered with No, and the prevalence is 50% for lower-class women. Regarding the human papillomavirus vaccine, 41.7% of married women, 33.3% of women in upper class, and 50% of women in the middle class mentioned that they know about it, while 68.4% of women have education up to eighth grade and 47.4% of lower-class women answered with No. Of women with education up to eighth grade, 92.5% had one to two deliveries at home, and 68.8% of women with education up to fifth grade had three to four deliveries at home. Fifty percent of women from both lower and upper lower classes had one to two deliveries at home. Twelve women from the upper middle class had all of their deliveries at home and 20 had five to six deliveries at home. Of women with education up to fifth grade and eighth grade, 64.3% and 28.6%, respectively, had their all deliveries at a hospital; 22.9% of women from the upper class and 20% of the upper middle class also had all deliveries at the hospital, Thirty-three women who graduated from college had one to two deliveries in the hospital. All of these results are found to be significant with a pvalue <0.05.Conclusion: Knowledge about reproductive health is less prevalent in women with low education and the same is for lower and lower middle socioeconomic class. The...