Benchmarking Pre-National Action Plan Systemic Antimicrobial Consumption in Tanzania, 1998-2005: A Historical Longitudinal Defined Daily Dose Analysis

Background Antimicrobial consumption (AMC) data in Tanzania prior to the 2017 National Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance (NAP-AMR) are scarce, limiting our understanding of historical usage patterns. Objective To establish a national baseline of systemic AMC in Tanzania from 1998 to 2005 using the World Health Organization's Defined Daily Dose (DDD) methodology. Methods A retrospective longitudinal analysis of antimicrobial import records from the Tanzania Medicines and Medical Devices Authority was conducted, expressing consumption as DDD per 1,000 inhabitants per day (DID). Results Between 1998 and 2005, annual AMC ranged from 0.45 to 13.32 DID, predominantly antibacterials (82.6%), with cumulative consumption of 51.9 DID. Oral formulations and Access category antibiotics dominated usage. Conclusion These historical AMC estimates provide a valuable benchmark for contextualizing and informing future antimicrobial stewardship efforts in Tanzania.