Health care integration for addressing antimicrobial resistance: Traditional and conventional medical practices in AMR education

This study explores how integrating traditional and conventional medical practices could support antimicrobial resistance (AMR) education and help reduce antimicrobial use, based on participatory workshops with health practitioners at two hospitals in Zimbabwe. While practitioners identified major challenges—such as misunderstandings between the two systems and the lack of scientific validation of traditional treatments—they also saw clear opportunities for collaboration built on mutual respect, shared training, and legitimisation. The findings suggest that community- and patient-centred AMR education can provide a strong foundation for such integration, enabling more culturally relevant, prevention-focused approaches that combine clinical practice with community empowerment to reduce infections and reliance on antimicrobials.