A genomics network established to respond rapidly to public health threats in South Africa

The performance of two sea outfalls that have been in operation off the coast of Durban for over 10 years has been monitored for effects on the marine environment and public health. The discharge has been a mixture of domestic sewage and industrial waste from which a large proportion of the sludge has been removed but a 2-year research project, in which the balance of the sludge is also being discharged, has commenced. Performance of the outfalls and details of the monitoring programme are reviewed.

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Evaluation of a New Field Epidemiology Training Program Intermediate Course to Strengthen Public Health Workforce Capacity in Tanzania

Public Health Reports ◽

10.1177/0033354920974663 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 003335492097466

Author(s):

Kate Wilson ◽

Amir Juya ◽

Ahmed Abade ◽

Senga Sembuche ◽

Devotha Leonard ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Training Program ◽

Health Workforce ◽

Outcome Evaluation ◽

Exit Interviews ◽

Field Epidemiology ◽

Health Threats ◽

Before And After ◽

Workforce Capacity ◽

Field Epidemiology Training Program

Objectives Sub-Saharan Africa faces a shortage of skilled epidemiologists to prevent, detect, and respond to health threats. Tanzania has implemented one of the first Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Field Epidemiology Training Program (FETP) Intermediate courses in Africa. This course aims to strengthen health workforce capacity in surveillance system assessment, outbreak investigation, and evaluation, prioritizing HIV control. We conducted an outcome evaluation of this new course. Methods We used a pre/post evaluation design using data from 4 cohorts of trainees who took the FETP Intermediate course from 2017 to 2020. We conducted knowledge assessments before and after each cohort and combined those results. Outcomes included knowledge and self-rated competency and trends in integrated disease surveillance and response (IDSR) data. We collected data through tests, field assignments, exit interviews, and data audits. We compared the mean change in pre-/posttest scores using linear regression and 95% CIs. We used content analysis to summarize exit interviews. Results Fifty-three FETP trainees from 10 regions enrolled in the FETP Intermediate course, and 52 (99.0%) completed the course. We found substantial increases in mean knowledge (44.0 to 68.0 points) and self-rated competency (4.14 to 4.43) scores before and after the course. Trainees evaluated 52 surveillance systems and 52 district HIV care programs, and 39 (75.0%) trainees participated in outbreak investigations. From before to after cohort 1, timeliness and completeness of IDSR reports increased from 4.2% to 52.1% and from 27.4% to 76.5%, respectively. Course strengths were quality of instruction, individualized mentoring, and practical skills gained. Challenges were mentor availability, limited time for data analysis practice, and balancing work and field assignments. Conclusions The Tanzania FETP Intermediate course substantially improved trainee knowledge and helped to improve local data quality and reporting. This course is a promising model to strengthen subnational capacity to prevent, detect, and respond to public health threats in Africa.

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Between a rock and a hard place: (un)balancing the public health interventions and human rights protection in the COVID 19 era in South Africa

The International Journal of Human Rights ◽

10.1080/13642987.2021.1926238 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-16

Author(s):

Ebenezer Durojaye

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

South Africa ◽

Human Rights ◽

Health Interventions ◽

Public Health Interventions ◽

Human Rights Protection ◽

The Public ◽

Rights Protection ◽

Hard Place

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Identifying and bridging the knowledge-to-practice gaps in rehabilitation professionals working with at-risk infants in the public health sector of South Africa: a multimethod study protocol

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2020-039242 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (5) ◽

pp. e039242

Author(s):

Pragashnie Govender

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

South Africa ◽

At Risk ◽

Neonatal Intensive Care ◽

Qualitative Data ◽

Health Sector ◽

Critical Time ◽

Reliability And Validity ◽

The Public ◽

Public Health Sector

IntroductionEarly childhood is a critical time when the benefits of early interventions are intensified, and the adverse effects of risk can be reduced. For the optimal provision of early intervention, professionals in the field are required to have specialised knowledge and skills in implementing these programmes. In the context of South Africa, there is evidence to suggest that therapists are ill-prepared to handle the unique challenges posed in neonatal intensive care units and wards with at-risk infants in the first few weeks of life. This is attributed to several reasons; however, irrespective of the causative factors, the need to bridge this knowledge-to-practice gap remains essential.Methods and analysisThis study is a multimethod stakeholder-driven study using a scoping review followed by an appreciative inquiry and Delphi process that will aid in the development, implementation and evaluation of a knowledge translation intervention to bridge knowledge-gaps in occupational and physiotherapists working in the field. Therapists currently working in the public health sector will be recruited for participation in the various stages of the study. The analysis will occur via thematic analysis for qualitative data and percentages and frequencies for descriptive quantitative data. Issues around trustworthiness and rigour, and reliability and validity, will be ensured within each of the phases, by use of a content validity index and inter-rater reliability for the Delphi survey; thick descriptions, peer debriefing, member checking and an audit trail for the qualitative data.Ethics and disseminationThe study has received full ethical approval from the Health Research and Knowledge Management Directorate of the Department of Health and a Biomedical Research Ethics Committee. The results will be published in peer-reviewed academic journals and disseminated to the relevant stakeholders within this study.

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Climate Change and Health Preparedness in Africa: Analysing Trends in Six African Countries

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18094672 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (9) ◽

pp. 4672

Author(s):

Samuel Kwasi Opoku ◽

Walter Leal Filho ◽

Fudjumdjum Hubert ◽

Oluwabunmi Adejumo

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Climate Change ◽

South Africa ◽

Human Health ◽

Health Systems ◽

Health Professionals ◽

Health Problems ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

Basic Knowledge ◽

African Countries

Climate change is a global problem, which affects the various geographical regions at different levels. It is also associated with a wide range of human health problems, which pose a burden to health systems, especially in regions such as Africa. Indeed, across the African continent public health systems are under severe pressure, partly due to their fragile socioeconomic conditions. This paper reports on a cross-sectional study in six African countries (Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa, Namibia, Ethiopia, and Kenya) aimed at assessing their vulnerabilities to climate change, focusing on its impacts on human health. The study evaluated the levels of information, knowledge, and perceptions of public health professionals. It also examined the health systems’ preparedness to cope with these health hazards, the available resources, and those needed to build resilience to the country’s vulnerable population, as perceived by health professionals. The results revealed that 63.1% of the total respondents reported that climate change had been extensively experienced in the past years, while 32% claimed that the sampled countries had experienced them to some extent. Nigerian respondents recorded the highest levels (67.7%), followed by Kenya with 66.6%. South Africa had the lowest level of impact as perceived by the respondents (50.0%) when compared with the other sampled countries. All respondents from Ghana and Namibia reported that health problems caused by climate change are common in the two countries. As perceived by the health professionals, the inadequate resources reiterate the need for infrastructural resources, medical equipment, emergency response resources, and technical support. The study’s recommendations include the need to improve current policies at all levels (i.e., national, regional, and local) on climate change and public health and to strengthen health professionals’ skills. Improving the basic knowledge of health institutions to better respond to a changing climate is also recommended. The study provides valuable insights which may be helpful to other nations in Sub-Saharan Africa.

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