Returning home to die: Circular labour migration and mortality in South Africa 1

Aim: To examine the hypothesis that circular labour migrants who become seriously ill while living away from home return to their rural homes to convalesce and possibly to die. Methods: Drawing on longitudinal data collected by the Agincourt health and demographic surveillance system in rural northeastern South Africa between 1995 and 2004, discrete time event history analysis is used to estimate the likelihood of dying for residents, short-term returning migrants, and long-term returning migrants controlling for sex, age, and historical period. Results: The annual odds of dying for short-term returning migrants are generally 1.1 to 1.9 times (depending on period, sex, and age) higher than those of residents and long-term returning migrants, and these differences are generally highly statistically significant. Further supporting the hypothesis is the fact that the proportion of HIV/TB deaths among short-term returning migrants increases dramatically as time progresses, and short-term returning migrants account for an increasing proportion of all HIV/TB deaths. Conclusions: This evidence strongly suggests that increasing numbers of circular labour migrants of prime working age are becoming ill in the urban areas where they work and coming home to be cared for and eventually to die in the rural areas where their families live. This shifts the burden of caring for them in their terminal illness to their families and the rural healthcare system with significant consequences for the distribution and allocation of health care resources.

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Sickness Absence and Disability Pension in the Very Long Term: A Finnish Register-Based Study With 20 Years Follow-Up

Frontiers in Public Health ◽

10.3389/fpubh.2021.556648 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 ◽

Author(s):

Julia Klein ◽

Kaarina Reini ◽

Jan Saarela

Keyword(s):

Sickness Absence ◽

Disability Pension ◽

Event History Analysis ◽

Finnish Population ◽

Short Term ◽

Distant Future ◽

History Analysis ◽

Disability Pensioner

Sickness allowance is paid for short-term sickness absence and is thus an indicator of temporary ill health, but it is also associated with a heightened risk of receiving disability pension. Using event history analysis, we examined the long-term risk for disability pension receipt after first observed receipt of medically certified sickness allowance in each single year after sickness allowance was first recorded. Utilizing longitudinal data from the Finnish population register, covering the period 1989–2010, we observed 110,675 individuals aged 16–40 years at baseline. Using discrete-time hazard models, we estimated how the first observed receipt of sickness allowance was related to the risk of receiving disability pension, with an average follow-up time of 20.6 years. In this population, about 40 percent received sickness allowance and 10 percent received disability pension. In the first years after sickness allowance receipt, there was a substantial difference between long-term and short-term sickness allowance recipients in the hazard of becoming a disability pensioner. This difference levelled out over time, but even 20 years after the first observed sickness allowance receipt, the hazard of disability retirement was more than 15 times higher than that of non-recipients of sickness allowance. Patterns were similar for men and women. First observed receipt of sickness allowance is a powerful predictor for disability pension receipt, also in the very distant future. Thus, it can be used to monitor people with heightened risk of becoming more permanently ill and falling outside the labour market.

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Methods to Reduce Traffic Speed in High-Pedestrian Rural Areas

Transportation Research Record Journal of the Transportation Research Board ◽

10.3141/1828-04 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 1828 (1) ◽

pp. 31-37 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Ali Kamyab ◽

Steve Andrle ◽

Dennis Kroeger ◽

David S. Heyer

Keyword(s):

Rural Areas ◽

Speed Limit ◽

Single Word ◽

Short Term ◽

Speed Reduction ◽

Traffic Calming ◽

Reduction Strategies ◽

Long Term Impact ◽

The Impact

Many Minnesota counties are faced with the problem of high vehicle speeds through towns or resort areas that have significant pedestrian traffic. The impact of speed reduction strategies in high-pedestrian areas in rural counties of Minnesota was investigated. Speed data were collected at two selected study sites under their existing conditions ("no-treatment" or "before" condition) and after the proposed speed reduction strategies were installed. Second "after" data conditions were collected to study the short-term and long-term impact of the implemented strategies. The traffic-calming techniques employed at the Twin Lakes site consisted of removable pedestrian islands and pedestrian crossing signs. A dynamic variable message sign that sent a single-word message ("Slow") to motorists traveling over the speed limit was installed at the Bemidji site. The research study shows that the traffic-calming strategy deployed in Twin Lakes was effective in significantly reducing the mean speed and improving speed limit compliance in both the short term and long term. Despite proven effectiveness, the deployed speed reduction treatment in Bemidji Lake failed to lower the speed at the study site. The single-word message on the sign and the location of the sign, as well as a lack of initial enforcement, were the primary reasons for such failure.

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Exploring the Livelihoods of Internally Displaced Persons in Kachin State, Myanmar

10.26686/wgtn.17148899.v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

◽

Htu Tawng Lazum

Keyword(s):

Urban Areas ◽

Partial Solution ◽

Livelihood Strategies ◽

Internally Displaced Persons ◽

Displaced Persons ◽

Short Term ◽

Internally Displaced ◽

Long Run ◽

Emergency Assistance

<p>The issue of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) is a global crisis yet little research has been focused on the issue of the livelihoods of IDPs. Providing short-term emergency assistance is not enough when the period of displacement becomes permanent or longer than expected. IDPs need long-term solutions in order to resume a normal life. Pursuing appropriate livelihoods in urban areas is a big challenge yet constructing potential livelihoods is fundamental to achieving decent living not only for short-term situations but also for the long run. The lack of access to livelihoods is one of the most serious obstacles to durable solutions for IDPs, and long-term livelihood strategies are needed to lay the foundation for future development. This study explores Kachin IDPs in Myanmar and their livelihood strategies and activities in urban camps by applying qualitative methods, the study focuses on how IDPs have been building their livelihoods during their displacement and who has been involved in supporting their livelihoods. This research also seeks insight into the effectiveness and sustainability of those livelihood activities and other potential strategies. Results show that most livelihood activities are supported by both local and international humanitarian and development agencies and are mainly undertaken through local organisations. Agriculture and livestock rearing are preferred livelihoods of IDPs although getting appropriate land is challenging in urban areas. Income-generating programmes such as food processing, carpentry and bamboo handicrafts are also popular and successful activities. Moreover, tailoring, brick making, and pig rearing are also effective and helpful livelihoods for individuals. Those who are involved in livelihood support activities receive benefits and advantages for their family and daily needs while the majority of IDPs are working in day labouring. Respondents believe current livelihood activities can become sustainable as long as they maintain the quality of the products. Some IDPs have adapted to the city environment quite well by applying their capacity and the skills they learnt from humanitarian organisations. Supporting livelihood strategies may not resolve the problems of IDPs, however, it is an effective partial solution.</p>

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Seroprevalence in Tamil Nadu through India's two COVID waves: Evidence on antibody decline following infection and vaccination

10.1101/2021.11.14.21265758 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

T. S. Selvavinayagam ◽

Anavarathan Somasundaram ◽

Jerard Maria Selvam ◽

Sabareesh Ramachandran ◽

Sampath P. ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Rural Areas ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Tamil Nadu ◽

Natural Infection ◽

State Level ◽

Elderly Age ◽

Working Age ◽

Serological Studies ◽

Tamil Nadu State ◽

Antibody Decline

Three rounds of population-representative serological studies through India's two COVID waves (round 1, 19 October-30 November 2020; round 2, 7-30 April 2021; and round 3, 28 June-7 July, 2021) were conducted at the district-level in Tamil Nadu state (population 72 million). State-level seroprevalence in rounds 1, 2 and 3 were 31.5%, 22.9%, and 67.1%. Estimated seroprevalence implies that at least 22.6 and 48.1 million persons were infected by the 30 November 2020 and 7 July 2021. There was substantial variation across districts in the state in each round. Seroprevalence ranged from 11.1 to 49.8% (round 1), 7.9 to 50.3% (round 2), and 37.8 to 84% (round 3). Seroprevalence in urban areas was higher than in rural areas (35.7 v. 25.7% in round 1, 74.8% v. 64.1% in round 3). Females had similar seroprevalence to males (30.8 v. 30.2% in round 1, 67.5 v. 65.5% in round 3). While working age populations (age 40-49: 31.6%) had significantly higher seroprevalence than the youth (age 18-29: 30.4%) or elderly (age 70+: 26.5%) in round 1, only the gap between working age (age 40-49: 66.7%) and elderly (age 70+: 59.6%) remained significant in round 3. Seroprevalence was greater among those who were vaccinated for COVID (25.7% v. 20.9% in round 2, 80.0% v. 62.3% in round 3). While the decline in seroprevalence from rounds 1 to 2 suggests antibody decline after natural infection, we do not find a significant decline in antibodies among those receiving at least 1 dose of COVID vaccine between rounds 2 and 3.

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Cordaid’s Post-Disaster Shelter Strategy in Haiti: Linking Relief and Development

Open House International ◽

10.1108/ohi-03-2014-b0009 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 39 (3) ◽

pp. 77-85

Author(s):

Harmen Janse ◽

Kees van der Flier

Keyword(s):

Urban Area ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Life Support ◽

Comparative Case Study ◽

Urban Context ◽

Short Term ◽

Stage Of Development ◽

Post Disaster

Haiti was struck by a heavy earthquake in 2010 and international aid poured into the country. News reports in 2011 were not very positive about the results of post-disaster reconstruction: “The relief efforts are only putting Haiti on life-support instead of evolving into the next stage of development”. One of the non-governmental organisations (NGOs) involved in Haiti was Cordaid, implementing a ‘transitional shelter strategy’ to support the transformation of neigh-bourhoods from a state of life-support into a state of self-sustaining development. The strategy was implemented in both a rural and an urban area. The main feature of the strategy was the provision of structures that could be adapted from simple shelters to permanent houses. Since the results of the strategy were mixed and ambiguous, a comparative case study was conducted to evaluate the shelter strategy in both areas. The objective was to draw lessons about what has to be taken into account when formulating future urban shelter strategies. The case study is discussed in this article. The main finding from the case study is that producing the intended number of shelters within the financial and time budgets that were set (efficiency), was more difficult in the urban area than in the rural area. But the conditions for linking relief and development (effectiveness) are more favourable in the urban context. NGOs may achieve long-term (effective) results in the urban context when a lower efficiency can be justified. That is why NGOs need to engage in a debate about the extent to which they are able to focus on long-term shelter or housing strategies. The important element in the debate is communication with the donors who are often focused on short-term relief measures. However urban areas cannot be rebuilt with only short-term interventions. The link between relief and development has to be made by a process-orientated approach focusing on capacities of local participants.

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The Paradox of (De)politicisation in a Selected South African Municipality: An Afrocentric Ethical Reflection

Politeia ◽

10.25159/2663-6689/6088 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 38 (2) ◽

Author(s):

Kgothatso B. Shai

Keyword(s):

South Africa ◽

Local Government ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Local Governance ◽

African National Congress ◽

Limpopo Province ◽

African Culture ◽

Government Administration ◽

Traditional Leadership

South Africa’s local government administration is complex in that both traditional leadership and elected municipal councils play a role in it. Traditional leadership occupies an essential position and status in local government administration, in particular in rural South Africa. However, the contemporary administrative jurisdiction of municipalities cuts across both rural and urban areas. In the rural areas, the conflict over the division of roles between traditional leaders and elected councillors is evident. Due to the influence and dominance of the neo-liberal global order, modernists often accuse traditional leadership of being undemocratic and authoritarian. However, the reality is that elected councils’ administration also leaves much to be desired, and the consequences of their poor administration are not uniformly understood. Since South Africa is a democratic state, it is expected that there should be a clear separation in government institutions between party (i.e., the ruling African National Congress) politics and public administration; a phenomenon that some describe as depoliticisation. Nevertheless, the realities on the ground suggest otherwise. This article, which is based on the theory of Afrocentricity, examines a selected rural municipality (Maruleng) in South Africa’s Limpopo province to critically reflect on the ethics and the value system of African culture in the context of local governance vis-à-vis Westernised governance principles. The aim of this research is achieved through interdisciplinary critical discourse and thematic analysis in its broadest form.

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Tracing Long- and Short-term Migrants for Participation in Demographic and Epidemiological Studies: Evidence from Senegal

Field Methods ◽

10.1177/1525822x19879892 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 32 (1) ◽

pp. 38-57

Author(s):

Mufaro Kanyangarara ◽

Laetitia Douillot ◽

Gilles Pison ◽

Cheikh Tidiane Ndiaye ◽

Valerie Delaunay ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Rural Areas ◽

Statistical Power ◽

Epidemiological Studies ◽

Adult Mortality ◽

Short Term ◽

Middle Income ◽

Middle Income Countries ◽

Contact Information

Migration of participants in demographic and epidemiological studies results in missing data. One approach to reduce resulting losses in statistical power and potential biases is to follow up migrants at their new residence. We describe the follow-up of migrants who were eligible for participation in a trial of a new questionnaire to measure adult mortality in Niakhar, Senegal. We conducted a short inquiry in the migrant’s last known household to obtain contact information and then attempted to contact and interview 661 migrants who resided in Dakar, Mbour, and rural areas close to Niakhar. About two-thirds of migrants were successfully enrolled in the study. Having a contact phone number and knowing the name of the head of compound at destination increased the likelihood of successful enrollment. Following up migrants in demographic studies is feasible in low- and middle-income countries, including long-term migrants who have not been contacted for extended periods of time.

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A Traditional Closed-Loop Sanitation System in a Chronic Emergency: A Qualitative Study from Afghanistan

Water ◽

10.3390/w11020298 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (2) ◽

pp. 298 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Sayed Mohammad Nazim Uddin ◽

Jean Lapegue ◽

Jutta Gutberlet ◽

Jan Franklin Adamowski ◽

Caetano C. Dorea ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Rural Areas ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Closed Loop ◽

Focus Group Discussions ◽

Group Discussions ◽

The World ◽

Smart Community ◽

Urban And Rural Areas ◽

Sanitation Systems

The use of closed-loop sanitation systems (CLSS), or reuse-oriented sanitation systems, has increased in recent years, and such systems have been successfully implemented in many parts of the world. However, no research has explored Traditional CLSS (T-CLSS) for a long-term humanitarian situation. This study explores the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) of T-CLSS in peri-urban and rural contexts in three different provinces in Afghanistan (the first study of its kind in Afghanistan). Participatory research tools, such as transect walks, focus group discussions, smart community gatherings and interactive workshops, were applied to assess the SWOT associated with T-CLSS. The results indicate that T-CLSS has been practiced historically in both peri-urban and rural areas using local and traditional knowledge, skills and technologies. The socio-cultural acceptance of the system in both rural and peri-urban areas is an important strength of this established system. However, due to chronic development challenges in the study regions, T-CLSS may possibly lead to exposure to microbial contaminants. It is recommended that the feasibility of an improved CLSS be assessed and implemented in light of the issues that are inherent in the use of T-CLSS in Afghanistan.

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