scholarly journals Temperature at conception and pregnancy loss in rural KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa: Implications for climate change policy in sub-Saharan African settings

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yoshan Moodley ◽  
Frank Tanser ◽  
Andrew Tomita
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Global Warming ◽  
Reproductive Health ◽  
South African ◽  
Pregnancy Loss ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Kwazulu Natal ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Women’S Reproductive Health ◽  
Women's Reproductive Health

AbstractBackgroundGlobal warming is projected to cause a substantial rise in temperatures with serious health implications across sub-Saharan Africa. Although South African policy makers have drafted a climate change adaptation plan, potential health threats posed by increasing temperatures on women’s reproductive health are overlooked due to the lack of local population-based evidence. We sought to address the gap in the evidence around global warming and women’s reproductive health in sub-Saharan Africa by using one of the continent’s largest prospective cohorts from rural KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa to investigate the relationship between temperature at conception and pregnancy loss.MethodsOur study sample consisted of 36341 pregnancies from 16765 women from the uMkhanyakude District of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa between 2000-2017. Average monthly temperatures for the study locale during the study period were obtained from the South African Weather Services. An adjusted logistic regression model was used to investigate the relationship between temperature at conception and pregnancy loss (miscarriage or stillbirth).ResultsThe rate of pregnancy loss in the study sample was 1.9 (95% Confidence interval [CI]: 1.7-2.0) per 100 pregnancies. We observed a 4% higher odds of pregnancy loss for each 1°C increase in temperature (Adjusted Odds Ratio: 1.04, 95% CI: 1.01-1.08).ConclusionThere is a clear relationship between temperature and pregnancy loss in our sub-Saharan African setting. The effects of global warming will likely exacerbate the existing challenges for women’s reproductive health in this region. Pregnancy outcomes should be given adequate attention when sub-Saharan African governments draft policies in response to global warming.

Introduction

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yana van der Meulen Rodgers
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Health ◽  
Historical Analysis ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Developing Regions ◽  
Systematic Analysis ◽  
Multimethod Approach ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Women’S Reproductive Health ◽  
Women's Reproductive Health ◽  
The Relationship

This chapter argues that the book fills a knowledge gap by conducting a systematic analysis of how the global gag rule affects women’s reproductive health across developing regions. The book extends the focus of the two previous econometric studies of the global gag rule’s impact in sub-Saharan Africa to include three additional developing regions: Latin America and the Caribbean, Eastern Europe and Central Asia, and South and Southeast Asia. This statistical analysis is grounded in a conceptual framework that models the complex factors that influence women’s decision-making about fertility. The chapter also describes the book’s multimethod approach to examining restrictions on women’s reproductive health through historical analysis, case studies, and analysis of aggregate data. The evolution of family-planning programs, the links between contraceptive access and fertility rates, the relationship between restrictive abortion laws and abortion rates, and the likelihood of other adverse effects are also introduced.

South Africa

2019 ◽  
pp. 89-120
Author(s):  
Eleanor M. Fox ◽  
Mor Bakhoum
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Competition Law ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Inclusive Development ◽  
Economic Opportunity ◽  
Law And Policy ◽  
Equity And Efficiency ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
Sub Saharan

This chapter explores South African competition law. South Africa has the most sophisticated system of competition law and policy in sub-Saharan Africa. It has a mission to expand economic opportunity and facilitate inclusive development. In the wake of the UN Millennium Development Goals and the follow-on Sustainable Development Goals, there is a new world consciousness of the need to combat deep systemic poverty and to reverse the tide of increasing inequality of wealth, income, and opportunity. If there is any nation in the world whose competition law mandates integration of equity and efficiency, it is South Africa, and its policymakers are intent to address this need. The chapter looks at the South African Competition Act and highlights selected cases to illustrate the law and its implementation, including the effort by the Competition Tribunal to give serious regard to the equality and inclusiveness values that animated the statute.

scholarly journals Evaluating South Africa’s utilisation of sustained export potential in sub-Saharan Africa

2018 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabriel Mhonyera ◽  
Ermie Steenkamp ◽  
Marianne Matthee
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Import Demand ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Eastern Africa ◽  
Second Step ◽  
Regional Trade ◽  
Traditional Markets ◽  
Western Africa ◽  
Sub Saharan

Background: Regional trade could be a powerful engine of economic growth and sustainable job creation. However, South Africa’s exports to sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) are typically smaller and more short-lived than its exports to its traditional markets. This is despite South African policymakers considering trade with SSA to be a priority. Aim: The aim of the article is to evaluate South Africa’s utilisation of sustained export potential in SSA with a view to providing practical insights that will inform future policymaking and planning. Setting: Despite the priority attention given to SSA in the country’s trade policy, South Africa is yet to make meaningful inroads into SSA’s largest and fastest-growing economies. Method: The research method applied comprised three steps. The first step involved the identification, over a five-year period from 2010 to 2014, of consistently large and/or growing import demand in SSA for all products at the Harmonised System (HS) six-digit level, as well as the identification of products South Africa consistently exported competitively (sustainable exports). The second step entailed matching SSA markets with consistently large and/or growing import demand to South Africa’s sustainable exports. The third step involved evaluating South Africa’s utilisation of sustained export potential in SSA. Results: The results reveal that South Africa is utilising just over half (54%) of its sustained export potential in SSA. Conclusion: South Africa is, therefore, underutilising or not utilising close to 50% of its sustained export potential in SSA. Most of the export potential that South Africa is utilising is in Eastern Africa while most of the export potential that the country is underutilising and not utilising at all is in Central and Western Africa.

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

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.

scholarly journals Helminths in South Africa: management of cestode and trematode infections in humans

2020 ◽  
pp. 33-38
Author(s):  
RL van Zyl
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Signs And Symptoms ◽  
Epidemiological Data ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
The South ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
The Impact

Sub-Saharan Africa has to contend with many challenges, including inadequate healthcare systems, lack of optimal sanitation, and clean water and food. All of these contribute to malnutrition and an increased risk of infections, including parasitism by cestodes and trematodes. Schistosomiasis is a category-2 notifiable trematode (fluke) infection, whereas cestode (tapeworm) infections need not be reported to the South African Department of Health. Epidemiological data for helminthiasis in South Africa is scant, with a paucity of publications on the South African scenario. As such, a complete picture of the impact of helminth infections on all age groups in South Africa does not exist. These parasitic diseases not only have an impact on socio economic development of a country, community and families, but also contribute to the chronic and detrimental effects on the health and nutritional status of the host, including the impaired development of children. In order to break the cycle of poverty and disease, a strong education drive is required in schools and communities to provide effective strategies and guidelines on preventative measures that result in avoidance of exposure to infective stages of Schistosoma and Taenia tapeworms. Also, it is imperative that healthcare professionals are able to recognise the signs and symptoms, so that interventions can be promptly initiated. The current anthelmintic treatments available in South Africa are effective against cestodes and trematodes, with no drug resistance having being reported. The need for compliancy when taking anthelmintic drugs must be emphasised.

scholarly journals Occurrence of Theileria parva and other haemoprotozoa in cattle at the edge of Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

2010 ◽  
Vol 81 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
S. B.A.S. Yusufmia ◽  
N. E. Collins ◽  
R. Nkuna ◽  
M. Troskie ◽  
P. Van Den Bossche ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Buffy Coat ◽  
Babesia Bovis ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Significant Finding ◽  
Theileria Parva ◽  
Mortality And Morbidity ◽  
Kwazulu Natal ◽  
Pcr Rflp ◽  
Sub Saharan

Theileria parva, the most important bovine theilerial species in sub-Saharan Africa, causes widespread mortality and morbidity in endemic areas. A survey was conducted using buffy-coat specimens from 60 apparently healthy adult communally herded Nguni-type cattle at the northeastern edge of the Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park to determine, by means of PCR and Reverse Line Blot (RLB) hybridisation, the occurrence of Theileria and Babesia species. The presence of Trypanosoma species was determined using PCR-RFLP. Results showed that 6.7 % of the specimens were positive for Theileria parva. This significant finding suggests that cattle in South Africa, and not only African buffaloes (Syncerus caffer), may be subclinical carriers of T. parva. Other species identified were T. mutans (83.3 %), T. velifera (70.0 %), Theileria sp. (sable) (46.8 %) and T. taurotragi (1.7 %). Two specimens (3.3 %) were positive for Babesia bovis and single specimens (1.7 %) positive for B. bigemina and B. rossi, respectively. Mixed infections, of up to 4 species, were common (65.0 %). Only 1 specimen was found to be positive for Trypanosoma vivax, and 2 for T. theileri, of which only the first species is pathogenic.

scholarly journals The value placed on roles and attributes of clinical educators: An international comparison of Indian, South African and Australian undergraduate physiotherapy students.

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 69-86
Author(s):  
Steve Milanese ◽  
Susan Gordon ◽  
Narasimman Swaminathan
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
International Students ◽  
South African ◽  
Clinical Education ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Clinical Educator ◽  
Clinical Educators ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Physiotherapy Students ◽  
Education Process

Aim and Background: Clinical Education opportunities for undergraduate Physiotherapy students are now increasingly occurring internationally. The clinical educator (CE) plays a significant role in the clinical education process particularly when a student undertakes a clinical placement in a different country as the CE often takes on a surrogate caretaker role. This study explores the self-reported perceptions of Physiotherapy students from three countries representing different global society clusters – South Africa (Sub-Saharan Africa), India (Southern Asia) and Australia (Anglo), regarding the roles and attributes of a CE that they value in the clinical education process. Method: Data was collected from undergraduate Physiotherapy students in a university in India (n=23) and Australia (n=154) and compared with data from a similar student cohort in South Africa (n=70). Students were asked roles and attributes of a clinical educator were of most value in the clinical education setting. Results: The relative values placed on CE roles/attributes across the three cohorts was similar, however specific differences between cohorts suggest that clinical educators should be aware of differences when supervising international students.

scholarly journals The making of the South African timeshare industry: spatial structure and development challenges

2014 ◽  
Vol 26 (26) ◽  
pp. 183-201 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wayde R. Pandy ◽  
Christian M. Rogerson
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Spatial Structure ◽  
South African ◽  
Historical Research ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
International Literature ◽  
Spatial Organisation ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Accommodation Sector ◽  
Tourism Economy

Abstract Research on the accommodation sector attracts only a small fraction of contemporary tourism scholarship relating to sub-Saharan Africa. This paper contributes to this expanding literature on segmentation and the accommodation sector in South Africa. Specifically, it examines the establishment and making of the timeshare industry as a distinctive form of accommodation within the national tourism economy. The timeshare industry in South Africa is the largest and most mature in sub-Saharan Africa and among the most important in the developing world. The analysis uses a longitudinal perspective in order to interpret the emerging spatial organisation and evolving structural issues that impacted upon the development of the timeshare industry in its formative years from 1978 to 2002. The study addresses a knowledge gap around the minimal pursuit of historical research within the existing international literature about timeshare.

Funding Rural Development in Post-Apartheid South Africa's Land Reform Programme

2020 ◽  
pp. 118-139
Author(s):  
Mukovhe Maureen Nthai
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Rural Development ◽  
South African ◽  
Land Reform ◽  
Development Strategies ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Post Colonial ◽  
The People ◽  
The World ◽  
Sub Saharan

The development of Africa is not only a problem to the Africans alone but also to the world at large. This is because some regions of the world also depend on Africa for their livelihoods. In Sub Saharan Africa one of the rural development strategies identified is land reform. Post-colonial African governments have argued that land reform would alleviate the majority of the people in the region from poverty, create employment, and address inequality. This is the position adopted by the post-apartheid government in South Africa beyond 27 April 1994. However, the South African post-apartheid land reform has had some significant complexities in its implementation – especially with regard to funding. Funding was impeded by widespread corruption in government. In addition, there has been immense lack of interest in making funds available for land reform in South Africa from non-governmental entities and donors.

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