Social-Cultural Factors Contributing to Antimicrobial Resistance in Livestock Farmers and Community Households in Kayonza District, Rwanda

Globally, and regionally in Sub-Saharan Africa like in Rwanda, social-cultural factors remain an immense challenge in preventing and controlling antimicrobial resistance (AMR) between livestock farmers and community households in one healthy ecosystem. However, studies in Kayonza District update remain limited and skewed on the effect of one health right from the independence on social-cultural factors contributes to antimicrobial resistance, thus the persistent spread of resistant pathogens and microbes in one health husbandry in the district. It is these reasons that led to the study of social-cultural factors contributing to antimicrobial resistance among livestock farmers and community households in Kayonza District. Determining social cultural factors, contributing to antimicrobial resistance, among livestock farmers and community houses, and lastly, assesses how knowledge attitudes, and practices of livestock farmers, and community health, contribute to antimicrobial resistance in livestock farmers and community households in Kayonza district, mixed methods of surveys and interviews on livestock farmers, veterinary services providers, and community households, as the target population. Descriptive crosssectional and triangulation designs exploited. The sampling design included purposive census and snowball samplings. A total sample size of 245 respondents used. Data collection tools and instruments included key informant interviews KII, and focus group discussions FGDs, respectively. Quantitative data was collected using semi-structured questionnaires, while qualitative data, was collected by Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs). Data was managed, using SPSS Version 27 and analysed by cross-tabulation of descriptive and inferential statistics. Data presented using pie charts and bar graphs. Results discoursed that social-cultural factor contributes to antimicrobial resistance by only 21.7% (46) respondents, with a p-value of .067 CI 95% significant. Community veterinary services remain the main significant providers of prevent and control antimicrobials due to limited access to government veterinary doctors ar community households in the district, The Study opined that 27.5% (54) respondents their animal health-seeking behaviours were largely attributed to traditional herbs healers besides pressure from family or community households. With RR (0.634, .056), OD (1.4) signifying existing protective measures by the government via community strategy to control the phenomena with the existing harmful practice of mixing herbs and medicine to cause resistance in community households. The study recommended future synergistic partnerships in the One Health Ecosystem to prevent and control antimicrobial resistance due to the uptake of immunized animal products due to existing sociocultural beliefs among farmers and traditional animal healers in the district.