scholarly journals Rural realities in service provision for substance abuse: a qualitative study in uMkhanyakude district, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

2017 ◽  
Vol 59 (3) ◽  
pp. 110-115 ◽  
Author(s):  
DM Mpanza ◽  
P Govender
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Substance Abuse ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Service Provision ◽  
Kwazulu Natal

scholarly journals Rural realities in service provision for substance abuse: a qualitative study in uMkhanyakude district, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

2017 ◽  
Vol 59 (3) ◽  
pp. 55
Author(s):  
D M Mpanza ◽  
P Govender
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Substance Abuse ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Service Delivery ◽  
Mental Health Care ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Monitoring And Evaluation ◽  
Kwazulu Natal

Background: Substance abuse is recognised as a worldwide concern, contributing significantly to morbidity and mortality in South Africa. There is minimal research that has considered influences in mental health care service delivery in rural and disadvantaged communities in South Africa. Methods: A qualitative study with substance abuse service providers in uMkhanyakude rural district of KwaZulu-Natal was undertaken to gain insight into the experiences and challenges in service delivery. Focus groups and semi-structured interviews were conducted with various stakeholders (n = 29) in the rural district. Results: The findings of the study suggest that service providers experience challenges in service delivery in this rural area. The effects of culture (amarula festival and ancestral worship) exacerbate the use of substances; the high rate of unemployment and poverty lead to the produce of home-brewed substances for sustainable living; a lack of resources poses threats to service delivery; the poor prioritisation of mental health care services and a lack of monitoring and evaluation of services in the district were highlighted. Conclusions: Despite this being a single district study, findings reflect the need for a district, provincial and national standard for substance abuse rehabilitation services in addition to the improvement of monitoring and evaluation for quality improvement. There is also a need to respond to the gaps that exist in after-care and community-based or decentralised substance abuse services that are essential in such areas, which are under-resourced despite the high prevalence of substance users. (Full text of the research articles are available online at www.medpharm.tandfonline.com/ojfp) S Afr Fam Pract 2017; DOI: 10.1080/20786190.2016.1272232

scholarly journals “I have to provide for another life emotionally, physically and financially”: understanding pregnancy, motherhood and the future aspirations of adolescent mothers in KwaZulu-Natal South, Africa

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Desiree Govender ◽  
Saloshni Naidoo ◽  
Myra Taylor
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Adolescent Pregnancy ◽  
Adolescent Mothers ◽  
Healthcare Services ◽  
Early Childbearing ◽  
Body Experience ◽  
Future Aspirations ◽  
Healthcare Needs ◽  
Kwazulu Natal

Abstract Background Adolescent pregnancy and motherhood has been a controversial and much disputed subject within the field of public health. Early childbearing is not only characterized as a physical body experience but also embodies the experiences and perceptions of the social norms, discourses, conflict and moral judgement. There is an increasing concern that the psychosocial challenges facing adolescent mothers remains in the background since research in this field has mainly focused on the medical and physical complications of early childbearing. The aim of this qualitative study was to explore adolescent pregnancy and motherhood in order to understand this phenomenon from the perspective of adolescent mothers and to gain insight into their future aspirations. Methods This descriptive qualitative study was based on data from four focus group discussions with adolescent mothers utilising healthcare services at a district hospital in Ugu district, KwaZulu Natal, South Africa. The data were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim, then analysed using thematic analysis. Results Some adolescent mothers’ partners were in denial and rejected them and the child while others’ partners were happy and supported them during their pregnancy. Families’ reactions to the pregnancies ranged between anger and disappointment to abandonment, the silent treatment, and acceptance and forgiveness. The psychological issues experienced by some of the adolescent mothers included suicidal ideation, guilt, loneliness, anxiety, and stress. They also experienced financial constraints, difficulty in returning to school, and stigmatisation in society. The participants envisioned completing their education, focusing on their dream careers, and contributing positively to society. Conclusion Experiences of adolescent pregnancy and parenting are multifaceted and the healthcare needs of pregnant and parenting adolescents extend beyond information and knowledge. A multidisciplinary approach is required in the care of adolescent mothers. A key policy priority should encompass the collaboration of different professionals from various healthcare sectors to assist adolescent mothers in achieving better health and psychosocial and socio-economic outcomes as steps to securing a better future for them.

scholarly journals “I did not see a need to get tested before, everything was going well with my health”: a qualitative study of HIV-testing decision-making in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

AIDS Care ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 32-39 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shema Tariq ◽  
Susie Hoffman ◽  
Gita Ramjee ◽  
Joanne E. Mantell ◽  
Jessica L. Phillip ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Decision Making ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Hiv Testing ◽  
Kwazulu Natal

scholarly journals Shaping a township: self-connecting as �counter conduct� in Umlazi, Durban

2021 ◽  
Vol 9s11 ◽  
pp. 93-106
Author(s):  
Shauna Mottiar
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Social Movements ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Service Delivery ◽  
Service Provision ◽  
Social Rights ◽  
Self Service ◽  
The Government

South Africa has high levels of protest. Protest actions are frequently linked to demands for �service delivery�, specifically the lack of access to housing, water and electricity in poor neighbourhoods. As a result, residents in these areas have resorted to informal, self-service provision in the form of illegal water and electricity connections. These self-services have assumed two narratives: the first, in official circles, as criminalised activities; and the second, by protestors and social movements, as gaining basic social rights. This article examines the various methods of �illegal� water and electricity connections in the township of Umlazi, situated in Durban, South Africa. It draws on �counter conduct� to understand illegal connections as �diffuse and subdued forms of resistance�. Techniques of counter conduct by Umlazi residents resist both forms and quantities of service provision through the act of self-connecting. Self-connections use the government�s own techniques against it while adopting its own governmentality. The article is based on a qualitative study comprising interviews with householders of Emhlabeni, Umlazi Section D.

scholarly journals Reproductive intentions and choices among HIV-infected individuals in Cape Town, South Africa: Lessons for reproductive policy and service provision from a qualitative study

2005 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Decision Making ◽  
Reproductive Health ◽  
Health Service ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Service Provision ◽  
Cape Town ◽  
Reproductive Health Services ◽  
Reproductive Intentions

While many HIV-infected individuals do not wish to have children, others want children despite their infected status. The desire and intent to have children among HIV-infected individuals may increase because of improved quality of life and survival following commencement of antiretroviral treatment. In developing countries such as South Africa, where the largest number of people living with HIV/AIDS worldwide reside, specific government reproductive health policy and service provision for HIV-infected individuals is underdeveloped. This policy brief presents findings from a qualitative study that explored HIV-infected individuals’ reproductive intentions, decision-making, and need for reproductive health services. The study also assessed the opinions of health-service providers, policymakers, and influential figures within nongovernmental organizations who are likely to play important roles in the shaping and delivery of reproductive health services. Conducted at two health centers in the Cape Town metropolitan area in South Africa from May 2004 to January 2005, the study focused on issues that impact reproductive choice and decision-making and identified critical policy, health service, and research-related matters to be addressed.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document