scholarly journals “The Time Has Arrived”: Perceptions of Behavioral Adjustments in the Context of Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis Availability Among Adolescents in South Africa

2018 ◽  
Vol 30 (6) ◽  
pp. 463-473 ◽  
Author(s):  
Danielle Giovenco ◽  
Caroline Kuo ◽  
Kristen Underhill ◽  
Jacqueline Hoare ◽  
Don Operario
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Qualitative Methodology ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Developmentally Appropriate ◽  
Western Cape ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Combination Prevention ◽  
Implementation Challenges ◽  
Hiv Acquisition ◽  
Exposure Prophylaxis

Antiretroviral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) holds enormous potential to reduce HIV acquisition in key populations globally. We conducted an exploratory PrEP acceptability study using qualitative methodology among adolescents and service providers in the Western Cape Province of South Africa to inform future PrEP implementation challenges in South Africa and other high-prevalence African countries. Semistructured focus groups and in-depth individual interviews were conducted among 57 adolescents 16–17 years of age, living with and without HIV, and 25 clinical service providers. Adolescents and service providers expressed concerns that the availability of PrEP would lead to sexual disinhibition and a reduction in condom use among adolescents. Unexpected positive impacts included predictions that PrEP might encourage disclosure in serodiscordant partnerships and help normalize pill-taking in the community. Careful age, gender, and developmentally appropriate messaging will be needed to ensure adolescents understand partial efficacy and view PrEP as a component of combination prevention.

An analysis of the solar service provider industry in the Western Cape, South Africa

2014 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 70-80 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roman Votteler ◽  
Johan Hough ◽  
Chanel Venter
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Service Provider ◽  
Value Chain ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Renewable Energy Sources ◽  
Electricity Production ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Western Cape ◽  
Stakeholder Satisfaction

Scientists agree that rising electricity usage of the rapidly growing human race to improve its standard of living is negatively affecting the environment. To create a sustainable environment for future generations, renewable and environmentally friendly resources have to be exchanged for the present finite resources. In South Africa, coal plants are responsible for more than 90% of electricity production. This means that action has to be taken now to start a process of change to sustainable electricity resources.This paper focuses on the South African solar industry. Due to the high sun radiation levels, solar technology is one of the renewable energy sources with the greatest potential. The industry is in its infancy, characterised by accelerated growth expectancy and fuelled by factors such as government subsidies, the fluctuations of fossil fuel prices and the increasing focus on economical long-term sustainability. The expected growth necessitates a focus on the market positioning of solar service providers in the Western Cape, with the aim of taking full advantage of the opportunities associated with this industry.The main objective is to determine the current structure of the solar service provider value chain and subsequently areas of improvement to increase growth, stakeholder satisfaction and sustainability. A literature review was conducted to address the research objective, relevant approaches and the broader electricity industry. Porter’s Value Chain approach was used as a foundation for the adaptation to the solar service provider value chain. Porter’s Five Forces model was also used as a secondary approach, which analysed the competitive environment of the solar service provider industry in the Western Cape. The methodology entailed a qualitative research approach in the form of semi-structured interviews. All respondents were general managers or owners of a solar service provider, who were interviewed face to face. The research focused on the entire population of solar service providers in the Western Cape. Seventy-seven different service providers were targeted, of which 18 were interviewed. The interviews were transcribed and analysed using content and frequency analysis. To guarantee reliability, a pilot study was conducted to ensure that the respondents understood the questionnaire. The findings show that customer service is the foremost value driver for solar service providers. This entails the actual installation of the product as well as the people skills of the installation team. As most customers only have to be served once due to the long life span of the products, marketing also plays an obvious role in attracting new customers. The most important outcome of this paper is the determination and a better understanding of the solar service provider value chain in South Africa. The recommendations, especially with regard to marketing and service elements, could improve the performance of solar service providers. The consequence could be an increase in stakeholder satisfaction and an enhanced usage of solar energy in South Africa. Future research should focus on customers to reveal preferences and opportunities for marketing approaches.

scholarly journals Reducing environmental hazard caused by disposed mobile phones in developing countries

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 92-99 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alfred Coleman
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Mobile Phones ◽  
Environmental Effect ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Environmental Hazard ◽  
Case Study Approach ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Phone Service

The utilization of unused and retired mobile phones in South Africa and other African countries poses a significant environmental hazard. Disposing of retired mobile phones in a safe manner has become an issue of concern in South Africa because of health and environmental hazards associated with it. This study investigates the methods of disposing and recycling of old, unused and retired mobile phones and their associated environmental effect on humans and plants in Africa. A case study approach was used in this paper. Participants were selected from three cities in South Africa, targeting three government institutions and three mobile phone service providers. Semi-structured, open-ended interview questions were used to get evidence from the participants regarding how old, unused and retired mobile phones are disposed and possible effect of these on the environment. The interviews were recorded, transcribed and coded. Findings revealed that most common method of disposing of old, retired mobile phones was donating them as gifts, selling to second-hand shops or storing in homes as spare phones. Based on findings, a proposed framework was developed to guide the collection process, reducing, reusing and recycling of old and retired mobile phones in Africa. The framework will not only assist manufacturers and retailers in selecting a better option of disposing old mobile phones, but also will to improve the hazardous environmental conditions, which affect humans and plants.

scholarly journals History of ‘swine fever’ in Southern Africa

2013 ◽  
Vol 84 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary-Louise Penrith
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Southern Africa ◽  
African Swine Fever ◽  
Classical Swine Fever ◽  
Western Cape ◽  
Eastern Cape ◽  
African Region ◽  
African Countries ◽  
The North ◽  
History Of

The histories of the two swine fevers in southern Africa differ widely. Classical swine fever (hog cholera) has been known in the northern hemisphere since 1830 and it is probable that early cases of ‘swine fever’ in European settlers’ pigs in southern Africa were accepted to be that disease. It was only in 1921 that the first description of African swine fever as an entity different from classical swine fever was published after the disease had been studied in settlers’ pigs in Kenya. Shortly after that, reports of African swine fever in settlers’ pigs emerged from South Africa and Angola. In South Africa, the report related to pigs in the north-eastern part of the country. Previously (in 1905 or earlier) a disease assumed to be classical swine fever caused high mortality among pigs in the Western Cape and was only eradicated in 1918. African swine fever was found over the following years to be endemic in most southern African countries. Classical swine fever, however, apart from an introduction with subsequent endemic establishment in Madagascar and a number of introductions into Mauritius, the last one in 2000, had apparently remained absent from the region until it was diagnosed in the Western and subsequently the Eastern Cape of South Africa in 2005. It was eradicated by 2007. The history of these diseases in the southern African region demonstrates their importance and their potential for spread over long distances, emphasising the need for improved management of both diseases wherever they occur.

scholarly journals Comparing Provider and Client Preferences for HIV Prevention Services in South Africa among Men Who Have Sex with Men

2017 ◽  
Vol 16 (6) ◽  
pp. 562-571 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Shaver ◽  
Patrick Sullivan ◽  
Aaron Siegler ◽  
Alex de Voux ◽  
Nancy Phaswana-Mafuya ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Hiv Prevention ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Post Exposure Prophylaxis ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Prevention Services ◽  
Sex With Men ◽  
Exposure Prophylaxis

Combination prevention efforts are now recommended toward reducing HIV incidence among men who have sex with men (MSM). Understanding the perceptions of both MSM and service providers is critical to informing the development of prevention packages and ultimately improving intervention effectiveness. This study assessed the preferences of MSM and health service providers in the administration of HIV-prevention efforts. Qualitative data were gathered from a series of separate MSM and health care provider focus groups in 2 South African cities. Participants discussed HIV-prevention services and MSM client experiences within South Africa and identified the 3 most important clinic characteristics and 3 most important HIV-prevention services for MSM clients. Priorities indicated by both MSM and health care providers were confidentiality of visit, friendly staff, and condoms, while discrepancies existed between MSM and providers regarding provider consistency and the provision of pre-exposure prophylaxis/post-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP/PEP) and lubricant as prevention methods. Effective interventions must address these discrepancies through the design of intervention and provider training to optimally accommodate MSM.

scholarly journals Southern African guidelines on the safe use of pre-exposure prophylaxis in persons at risk of acquiring HIV-1 infection

2016 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Linda-Gail Bekker ◽  
Kevin Rebe ◽  
Francois Venter ◽  
Gary Maartens ◽  
Michelle Moorhouse ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Treatment Guidelines ◽  
World Health ◽  
Combination Prevention ◽  
Transgender Persons ◽  
Sex With Men ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Hiv Acquisition ◽  
Risk Of Hiv Acquisition ◽  
Exposure Prophylaxis

The Southern African HIV Clinicians Society published its first set of oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) guidelines in June 2012 for men who have sex with men (MSM) who are at risk of HIV infection. With the flurry of data that has been generated in PrEP clinical research since the first guideline, it became evident that there was a need to revise and expand the PrEP guidelines with new evidence of safety and efficacy of PrEP in several populations, including MSM, transgender persons, heterosexual men and women, HIV-serodiscordant couples and people who inject drugs. This need is particularly relevant following the World Health Organization (WHO) Consolidated Treatment Guidelines released in September 2015. These guidelines advise that PrEP is a highly effective, safe, biomedical option for HIV prevention that can be incorporated with other combination prevention strategies in Southern Africa, given the high prevalence of HIV in the region. PrEP should be tailored to populations at highest risk of HIV acquisition, whilst further data from studies in the region accrue to guide optimal deployment to realise the greatest impact regionally. PrEP may be used intermittently during periods of perceived HIV acquisition risk, rather than continually and lifelong, as is the case with antiretroviral treatment. Recognition and accurate measurement of potential risk in individuals and populations also warrants discussion, but are not extensively covered in these guidelines.

scholarly journals Perceptions of HIV Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) among young pregnant women from KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

2017 ◽  
Vol 4 (suppl_1) ◽  
pp. S438-S438
Author(s):  
Laia Jimena Vazquez Guillamet ◽  
Anthony P Moll ◽  
Alexa Kacin ◽  
Jabulile Madi ◽  
Ntombi Ndlovu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Hiv Prevention ◽  
Condom Use ◽  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Young Women ◽  
Health Care Facilities ◽  
Consistent Condom ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Hiv Acquisition ◽  
Exposure Prophylaxis

Abstract Background Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is effective for HIV prevention with good adherence. In high HIV prevalence settings, young women ages 18–24 are at high risk of HIV acquisition, particularly during pregnancy and the postpartum period, and would potentially benefit from PrEP. More information is needed to achieve successful implementation of PrEP in this population. Methods The study was performed in Tugela Ferry, one of the poorest subdistricts of South Africa. From June-August 2016,the study team interviewed 187 HIV negative pregnant women ages 18–24 anonymously at health care facilities. Interviews collected data on demographics, HIV and PrEP knowledge, HIV risk and readiness for oral PrEP. Results Among 187 pregnant women, the mean age was 20.3 years (SD1.97), 179 (95.7%) were unemployed, 93 (49.7%) completed secondary school, and 137 (73.3%) reported one partner in the last month. None reported having ever being paid for sex. While 185 (98%) knew that HIV can be transmitted through sex, only 117 (62.5%) knew that a woman can transmit HIV to her child, and only 95 (51%) knew that HIV can be transmitted through breastmilk. Sixty-eight (36.4%) women believed that a sexual partner had been sexually active with another person in the last month, though 182 (97.3%) had difficulty negotiating condom use with their partner, and only 7 (3.7%) women reported consistent use of condoms. The vast majority (97%) would start PrEP if a doctor recommended it though 100 (53.5%) were concerned about being mistaken for HIV positive. Conclusion Pregnant young women in rural South Africa are at risk for HIV acquisition and are interested in PrEP. Knowledge of risks of HIV lags, particularly with regard to mother to child transmission. Young pregnant women are not able to negotiate consistent condom use and need a HIV prevention tool that is within their control. Stigma may be a barrier to effective PrEP use among these women. Further research is needed to guide potential PrEP implementation in pregnant women. Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures.

scholarly journals Critical Challenges to Protecting Unaccompanied and Separated Foreign Children in the Western Cape: Lessons Learned at the University of Cape Town Refugee Rights Unit

Refuge ◽  
2013 ◽  
pp. 61-76
Author(s):  
Tal Schreier
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Child Protection ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Policy Framework ◽  
Western Cape ◽  
Policy Frameworks ◽  
Level Of Knowledge ◽  
University Of Cape Town ◽  
The University

Despite South Africa having a relatively well developed legal and policy framework for securing the rights of children, there are a number of critical protection gaps that exist in terms of the implementation of these frameworks for unaccompanied or separated foreign children by magistrates, social workers and Department of Home Affairs’ officials in particular. This report focuses on the key challenges that the UCT Refugee Rights Unit has experienced in the protection of unaccompanied foreign children in the Western Cape province. In addition to setting out the legal and policy frameworks for dealing with foreign children in South Africa, the paper reviews some of the Unit’s cases and highlights various challenges in the course of undertakingthis work. The key protection gaps that are highlighted include difficulties with or lack of suitable entry by foreign unaccompanied or separated children into South Africa’s child care and protection system, the unclear interface between the refugee regime and the child protection regime, inability to access legal documentation, and the poor level of knowledge of the legal and protection frameworks by government and frontline service providers.

scholarly journals Minimum dataset for monitoring national human immunodeficiency virus pre-exposure prophylaxis (HIV PrEP) programmes: a five-nation consensus, 2019

2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (23) ◽  
Author(s):  
John Saunders ◽  
O Noel Gill ◽  
Valerie Delpech ◽  
Claudia Estcourt ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Human Immunodeficiency Virus ◽  
Health Planning ◽  
Monitoring And Evaluation ◽  
World Health ◽  
Surveillance Systems ◽  
Combination Prevention ◽  
Immunodeficiency Virus ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Hiv Acquisition ◽  
Exposure Prophylaxis

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), the use of antiretroviral medication to prevent HIV acquisition, is a highly effective biomedical prevention tool. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends PrEP for people at substantial risk of HIV infection, as part of combination prevention, and highlights the need for robust evaluation of PrEP programmes. Based on suggested WHO core indicators, we created a concise set of HIV PrEP-related dataset variables, to harmonise the monitoring and evaluation of PrEP programmes across five closely related nations (England, Northern Ireland, Ireland, Scotland and Wales). The dataset is based on the PrEP cascade and is intended to represent the minimum variables needed for reporting and comparison of meaningful data at national and multinational level. The dataset can be modified for settings with different health and surveillance systems. It is intended for public health, academic, clinical and health planning, and public audiences. Here we describe the dataset and illustrate its use with data from the first year of the Scottish National PrEP programme.

From darkness to light: Barriers and facilitators to mental health recovery in the South African context

2020 ◽  
pp. 002076402098112
Author(s):  
Anneliese de Wet ◽  
Chrisma Pretorius
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Focus Groups ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Public Mental Health ◽  
Psychiatric Hospitals ◽  
Barriers And Facilitators ◽  
Service Users ◽  
Western Cape ◽  
Public Mental Health Care

Background: South Africa is a low and middle income country facing many challenges in public mental health care and implementation of recovery. Aims: To contribute to what barriers and facilitators to recovery might be for service users in South Africa, from the perspective of service users, carers and service providers from three psychiatric hospitals in the Western Cape province. Method: Interviews and focus groups were conducted with service users, carers and service providers. Interviews and focus groups were transcribed and analysed using atlas.ti software and reflexive thematic analysis, from the bottom up. Results: The barriers, environment, family, public mental health services, stigma and service users’ attitude or behaviour generated, were found to be the most salient. The facilitators to recovery generated were support, family or friends, service providers, structure and empowerment. The need for support was identified as an underlying component to all these themes. Conclusion: Barriers and facilitators to recovery seemed to have both intrapersonal and external sources that intersect at times. Recovery needs to be supported at an individual level, especially through an under-utilised resource such as peer support work, but in conjunction with the development of recovery-enabling environments in services and communities in South Africa.

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