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Featured Article | Research Article | 04 Jul 2026

Knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding antimicrobial use and antimicrobial resistance among cattle farmers in Togo: A comparative study of livestock production systems in the Maritime and Savannah regions

Yawovi Agbenoxevi Kohoe1 ORCID , Ali Kpatcha Kadanga2 ORCID , and Essodina Talaki1 ORCID Show more
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ONE HEALTH | Article No. 4 | pg no. 217-232 | Vol. 12, Issue 2 | DOI: 10.14202/IJOH.2026.217-232
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ABSTRACT

                      
Background and Aim: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a growing threat to animal and public health worldwide. In Togo, infectious diseases remain major constraints on cattle production, leading to extensive antimicrobial use, often without veterinary supervision. However, information regarding cattle farmers’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices toward antimicrobial use and AMR remains scarce. This study aimed to evaluate and compare the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of cattle farmers regarding antimicrobial use and AMR in the Maritime and Savannah regions of Togo. 
Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted between July and September 2025 among 196 cattle farmers selected from the Maritime (n = 99) and Savannah (n = 97) regions. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews using a structured questionnaire implemented on the KoBoToolbox platform. Information regarding socio-demographic characteristics, antimicrobial use, attitudes, and farming practices was obtained. Descriptive statistics and Chi-square tests were used to determine factors associated with knowledge and practices. Composite scores were used to classify respondents according to their levels of knowledge and practices. 
Results: Overall awareness of AMR was poor. Most respondents were unable to define antimicrobials (91.8%) or antibiotics (87.2%), and 90.3% had never heard of AMR. High risk practices were widespread: 44.9% obtained antibiotics from informal markets, 92.3% did not comply with recommended dosages, and 83.7% were unaware of withdrawal periods. Nearly 60% reported therapeutic failures following antibiotic administration. Tetracyclines were the most frequently used antibiotic class (66.1%) and oxytetracycline was the drug most commonly associated with treatment failures. Foot-and-mouth disease and contagious bovine pleuropneumonia were the most frequently reported diseases. Farmers from the Savannah region exhibited significantly better knowledge and practices than those from the Maritime region. Higher educational level and previous livestock training were significantly associated with improved knowledge and safer practices. 
Conclusion: This study provides the first comprehensive assessment of knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding antimicrobial use and AMR among cattle farmers in Togo. The findings reveal alarmingly low awareness and widespread inappropriate antimicrobial practices, highlighting the urgent need for targeted education, strengthened veterinary services, regulation of informal antimicrobial markets, and implementation of One Health-based antimicrobial stewardship programs to mitigate AMR in the country's cattle sector. 
                      
Keywords: antimicrobial resistance, antimicrobial stewardship, cattle farming, knowledge attitudes and practices, livestock production systems, One Health, Togo, veterinary antibiotics.