Antibiotic self-medication and public awareness during the 2023 Gaza war: a cross-sectional investigation
- 1Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Islamic University Gaza, Gaza, Palestine; Corresponding author. Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Islamic University Gaza, University Street, Rimal, P.O. Box 108, Gaza, Palestine.
- 2Faculty of Health Sciences, The Islamic University, Gaza, Palestine
Abstract
Background: Antimicrobial resistance is driven by inappropriate antibiotic use, particularly self-medication. The 2023 Gaza War disrupted healthcare services, increasing resistant infections and reliance on self-treatment practices. Objectives: To determine the prevalence of antibiotic self-medication and assess public awareness during the 2023 Gaza War. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted between May and October 2025 among adults residing in the Gaza Strip during the 2023 Gaza War. A multistage nonprobability recruitment strategy, organized across predefined governorate and residential-setting strata, was used to recruit 422 participants from primary healthcare centers, community pharmacies, and displacement shelters. The questionnaire demonstrated good internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = 0.857). Ethical approval was obtained from the relevant institutional review board, and informed consent was secured from all participants. Results: The overall KAP score was moderate (67.46%), with attitudes scoring highest (74.62%), followed by knowledge (66.23%) and practices (61.52%). Reported antibiotic self-medication increased from 60.4% before the war to 80.6% during the war ( P < 0.001), with significant changes in reasons for self-medication and antibiotic procurement sources. The mean antimicrobial-resistance perception score was 82.19% ± 11.10%, and knowledge was strongly correlated with the total KAP score (r = 0.836, P < 0.001). Conclusions: Reported antibiotic self-medication was markedly higher during the 2023 Gaza War despite moderate public awareness, highlighting the urgent need for education, antibiotic stewardship, and improved healthcare accessibility.
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BibTeX
@article{altalla2026antibiotic,
title = {{Antibiotic self-medication and public awareness during the 2023 Gaza war: a cross-sectional investigation}},
author = {Sundus A. Altalla and Ayman M. Abu Mustafa and Abdelraouf A. Elmanama},
journal = {International Journal of Infectious Diseases},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1016/j.ijid.2026.109090},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijid.2026.109090},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Antibiotic self-medication and public awareness during the 2023 Gaza war: a cross-sectional investigation
AU - Sundus A. Altalla
AU - Ayman M. Abu Mustafa
AU - Abdelraouf A. Elmanama
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/30
JO - International Journal of Infectious Diseases
DO - 10.1016/j.ijid.2026.109090
UR - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijid.2026.109090
AB - Background: Antimicrobial resistance is driven by inappropriate antibiotic use, particularly self-medication. The 2023 Gaza War disrupted healthcare services, increasing resistant infections and reliance on self-treatment practices. Objectives: To determine the prevalence of antibiotic self-medication and assess public awareness during the 2023 Gaza War. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted between May and October 2025 among adults residing in the Gaza Strip during the 2023 Gaza War. A multistage nonprobability recruitment strategy, organized across predefined governorate and residential-setting strata, was used to recruit 422 participants from primary healthcare centers, community pharmacies, and displacement shelters. The questionnaire demonstrated good internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = 0.857). Ethical approval was obtained from the relevant institutional review board, and informed consent was secured from all participants. Results: The overall KAP score was moderate (67.46%), with attitudes scoring highest (74.62%), followed by knowledge (66.23%) and practices (61.52%). Reported antibiotic self-medication increased from 60.4% before the war to 80.6% during the war ( P < 0.001), with significant changes in reasons for self-medication and antibiotic procurement sources. The mean antimicrobial-resistance perception score was 82.19% ± 11.10%, and knowledge was strongly correlated with the total KAP score (r = 0.836, P < 0.001). Conclusions: Reported antibiotic self-medication was markedly higher during the 2023 Gaza War despite moderate public awareness, highlighting the urgent need for education, antibiotic stewardship, and improved healthcare accessibility.
SN - 1201-9712
SN - 1878-3511
ER -