Improving food security in the rural areas of KwaZulu-Natal province, South Africa: Too little, too slow

This paper discusses sexual behaviour findings collected through eleven homogenous focus group discussions conducted among women and men in a predominantly Zulu population in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The objective of this paper is to shed light on sexual behaviour in a rural community. The findings suggest that sex is a taboo subject and the discussion around it is concealed in the use of polite language, euphemisms, and gestures. There are gender and generational dimensions to the discussion of sex. The contribution of this paper lies in the identification of what rural people discuss about sex and the influence of cultural practices and urban or global forces on sexual behaviour in rural areas. The paper adds to the growing body of literature on the use of focus groups in understanding sexual behaviour in rural contexts.

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Food security in rural areas of Limpopo province, South Africa

Food Security ◽

10.1007/s12571-013-0247-y ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 5 (2) ◽

pp. 269-282 ◽

Cited By ~ 55

Author(s):

N. De Cock ◽

M. D’Haese ◽

N. Vink ◽

C. J. van Rooyen ◽

L. Staelens ◽

...

Keyword(s):

South Africa ◽

Food Security ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Limpopo Province

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Do Smallholder Farmers Need Nutrition Education? A Case Study from KwaZulu Natal, South Africa

Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education ◽

10.5191/jiaee.2021.28314 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 28 (3) ◽

pp. 14-27

Author(s):

Sarahi Moralles ◽

Abdukladir Egal ◽

Wilna Oldewage-Theron

Keyword(s):

South Africa ◽

Food Security ◽

Food Insecurity ◽

Nutrition Education ◽

Smallholder Farmers ◽

Dietary Guidelines ◽

Nutritional Knowledge ◽

Household Level ◽

Balanced Diet ◽

Kwazulu Natal

South Africa (SA) is considered as the second largest economies in Africa with well-developed agricultural food production system. But food security is still a challenge at household level. Currently, in Africa, smallholder agriculture is recognized to contribute food security at household level. This study investigates the prevalence of food insecurity and nutritional knowledge of 78 local smallholder farmers in KwaZulu Natal (KZN) province of South Africa. The results from this study indicated that nutrition knowledge was poor and food insecurity was prevalent at >40% at the household level. It is therefore recommended that future agricultural training should include nutrition education based on FBDG (Food Based Dietary Guidelines) in their respective programs so as to attain a balanced diet for healthy and productive smallholder farmer communities

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Small-scale Farming and Access to Market: Challenges and Opportunities in South Africa

Journal La Sociale ◽

10.37899/journal-la-sociale.v2i5.491 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 2 (5) ◽

pp. 50-63

Author(s):

Confidence Ndlovu ◽

Mandla Masuku

Keyword(s):

South Africa ◽

Food Security ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Household Income ◽

Crop Production ◽

Arable Land ◽

Policy Formulation ◽

Small Scale ◽

Limited Access ◽

Small Scale Farmers

The paper has aimed to explore the effectiveness of small-scale farmers in improving household income and food security, particularly looking at the barriers to market access in rural areas. This study was undertaken in rural areas of Kanyamazane, Clau-Clau and Nyongane, South Africa, where small-scale producers depend on low-risk and low-return markets to generate household income from production, thus ensuring food security. To achieve the aim of this study, a qualitative approach was used to provide in-depth interpretation of the perspectives, experiences, and behavioural patterns of the small-scale farmers faced with market related issues. Small-scale farmers, agricultural extension officers, and municipal officials were purposefully selected to share their views, perceptions, and experiences on the effectiveness in accessing markets. The findings revealed that there was limited access to formal markets by small-scale farmers because of limited knowledge and capacity to meet market requirements. The study confirmed that a lack of marketing skills, institutional support services, and limited access to arable land, have directly negative effects on achieving livelihood outcomes. This study recommends a sustainable crop production method which reduces the costs of farming resources, such as pesticide and fertilizer, through organic methods to ensure food safety and enhanced nutrient quality. This study further encourages inclusive rural development, where small-scale producers are treated as stakeholders in agricultural policy formulation to enable access to financial resources and increase in production through the formation of cooperatives.

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Factors influencing uptake of schistosomiasis research findings in ingwavuma area, uMkhanyakude District, Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa

Journal of Public Health in Africa ◽

10.4081/jphia.2021.1060 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Tafadzwa Mindu ◽

Moses J. Chimbari

Keyword(s):

South Africa ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Health Workers ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

Primary School Children ◽

Factors Influencing ◽

Kwazulu Natal ◽

Research Uptake ◽

Research Findings ◽

Sub Saharan

Background: Research uptake is concerned with spreading ideas across multiple levels of the community. Barriers such as poverty, lack of infrastructure, illiteracy and culture prevent information sharing in arid rural areas of sub-Saharan Africa. Objective: This study explores the factors influencing schistosomiasis research uptake and the available channels for the uptake of research findings from a transdisciplinary and eco-health research project on schistosomiasis in Ingwavuma area, uMkhanyakude district, KwaZulu-Natal province in South Africa. Methods: This case study conducted in 2017 involved 78 primary school children and 73 heads of household recruited through convenience and purposive sampling. Data were collected through focus group discussions, then transcribed and analysed by the researcher using thematic analysis. Results: Factors such as poor knowledge, water and sanitation problems, and lack of sufficient health workers hindered the uptake of schistosomiasis research findings. Participants recommended several platforms to share schistosomiasis research findings with the community, including: door to door visits; social gatherings such as sports events, talent shows, and religious gatherings; mass media platforms such as radio and television; social media platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook and Twitter; and printed media such as posters, booklets and pamphlets. Conclusions: There is a need to train health workers and peer educators in this area of South Africa to educate people about schistosomiasis infection, screening and treatment through home visits or social events. Schistosomiasis research findings must be synthesised and packaged in different forms for dissemination via multimedia media-based communication channels.

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South Africa: Who uses youth centers and why?

10.31899/rh2001.1029 ◽

2001 ◽

Author(s):

Keyword(s):

South Africa ◽

Reproductive Health ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Life Skills ◽

Skills Training ◽

Research Unit ◽

Recreational Activities ◽

Wide Range ◽

Kwazulu Natal ◽

Youth Centers

In 2000, the Reproductive Health Research Unit in KwaZulu Natal and the Population Council conducted an assessment of 12 youth centers and 7 affiliated peer education programs. The 12 centers, located in urban, peri-urban, and rural areas, offer very different services. The two centers of the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health focus on providing reproductive health (RH) information and services to adolescents. The six centers of the Youth and Adolescent Reproductive Health Project provide a broader range of youth-friendly RH services, including counseling and life skills education, as well as modest recreational activities. The four centers run by loveLife have large multipurpose facilities with a wide range of recreational activities, vocational and life skills training, and RH services. This brief states that less than one-third of local youth have ever visited the youth centers in this study area of South Africa. More than half of the youth center visitors were sexually experienced but visiting a center had little discernible effect on RH knowledge or safer sexual behavior. Youth want friendly, nonjudgmental providers; youth-only facilities and young providers are less important.

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Hypertension care cascade in the Ingwavuma rural community, uMkhanyakude District, KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa

PeerJ ◽

10.7717/peerj.12372 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 ◽

pp. e12372

Author(s):

Herbert Chikafu ◽

Moses Chimbari

Keyword(s):

South Africa ◽

Blood Pressure ◽

High Blood Pressure ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Substantial Reduction ◽

Diagnostic Tools ◽

Care Cascade ◽

Kwazulu Natal ◽

Hypertension Screening ◽

And Control

Background Treatment and control of hypertension are associated with a substantial reduction in adverse cardiovascular disease outcomes. Although South Africa aims to reduce the burden of cardiovascular diseases, there is limited evidence on the hypertension care cascade (HCC) performance in rural areas where stroke and hypertension are high. This study estimated HCC performance and identified predictors of hypertension screening among adults in the Ingwavuma community of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Methods This was a cross-sectional study. Data were collected using the WHO STEPwise approach to surveillance (STEPS) questionnaire from 400 adult participants, excluding pregnant women and those with physical or cognitive impairments. Three hundred and ninety-three participants had complete data, and 131 had high blood pressure. We calculated progression rates for screening, diagnosis, treatment and control of hypertension from the sub-sample of participants with high blood pressure and assessed the bivariate association between HCC stages and participant characteristics and their effect sizes. We used binary and multivariable logistic regression to identify predictors of hypertension screening. Results Eighty-eight per cent of participants reported prior screening for hypertension. However, only 53.5% of patients under pharmacological treatment for hypertension had controlled blood pressure. In bivariate regression, employed participants were 80.3% (COR = 0.197, 95% CI [0.042–0.921]) more likely to be screened. In multivariable regression, the likelihood of hypertension screening was 82.4% (AOR = 0.176, 95% CI [0.047–0.655]) lower among participants in a cohabiting union than single participants. Similarly, employed participants were 87.4% (AOR = 0.129, 95% CI [0.017–0.952]) less likely to be screened than their unemployed counterparts. Conclusions The considerable attrition from the HCC across socio-demographic categories indicates a need for community-wide interventions. Empowering health care workers for community-based health promotion and hypertension management through point-of-care diagnostic tools could improve HCC performance. Efforts to improve the HCC should also focus on social determinants of health, notably gender and formal educational attainment.

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