The impact of social grants on agricultural entrepreneurship among rural households in Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa

ObjectivesThe expanding burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) globally will require novel public health strategies. Community-based screening has been promoted to augment efficiency of diagnostic services, but few data are available on the downstream impact of such programmes. We sought to assess the impact of a home-based blood pressure screening programme on linkage to hypertension care in rural South Africa.SettingWe conducted home-based blood pressure screening withinin a population cohort in rural KwaZulu-Natal, using the WHO Stepwise Approach to Surveillance (STEPS) protocol.ParticipantsIndividuals meeting criteria for raised blood pressure (≥140 systolic or ≥90 diastolic averaged over two readings) were referred to local health clinics and included in this analysis. We defined linkage to care based on self-report of presentation to clinic for hypertension during the next 2 years of cohort observation. We estimated the population proportion of successful linkage to care with inverse probability sampling weights, and fit multivariable logistic regression models to identify predictors of linkage following a positive hypertension screen.ResultsOf 11 694 individuals screened, 14.6% (n=1706) were newly diagnosed with elevated pressure. 26.9% (95% CI 24.5% to 29.4%) of those sought hypertension care in the following 2 years, and 38.1% (95% CI 35.6% to 40.7%) did so within 5 years. Women (adjusted OR (aOR) 2.41, 95% CI 1.68 to 3.45), those of older age (aOR 11.49, 95% CI 5.87 to 22.46, for 45–59 years vs <30) and those unemployed (aOR 1.71, 95% CI 1.10 to 2.65) were more likely to have linked to care.ConclusionsLinkage to care after home-based identification of elevated blood pressure was rare in rural South Africa, particularly among younger individuals, men and the employed. Improved understanding of barriers and facilitators to NCD care is needed to enhance the effectiveness of blood pressure screening in the region.

Download Full-text

The impact of population dynamics on the population HIV care cascade: results from the ANRS 12249 Treatment as Prevention trial in rural KwaZulu-Natal (South Africa)

Journal of the International AIDS Society ◽

10.1002/jia2.25128 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 21 ◽

pp. e25128 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

Joseph Larmarange ◽

Mamadou Hassimiou Diallo ◽

Nuala McGrath ◽

Collins Iwuji ◽

Mélanie Plazy ◽

...

Keyword(s):

South Africa ◽

Population Dynamics ◽

Prevention Trial ◽

Hiv Care ◽

Treatment As Prevention ◽

Hiv Care Cascade ◽

Care Cascade ◽

Kwazulu Natal ◽

The Impact

Download Full-text

The impact of adult mortality on the living arrangements of older people in rural South Africa

Ageing and Society ◽

10.1017/s0144686x0500365x ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 25 (6) ◽

pp. 431-444 ◽

Cited By ~ 21

Author(s):

VICTORIA HOSEGOOD ◽

IAN M. TIMÆUS

Keyword(s):

South Africa ◽

Older People ◽

Living Arrangements ◽

Adult Mortality ◽

Living Alone ◽

Rural South ◽

Kwazulu Natal ◽

The Impact ◽

Quality Infrastructure ◽

Rural South Africa

This paper examines changes in households with older people in a northern rural area of KwaZulu Natal province, South Africa, between January 2000 and January 2002. The focus is the impact of adult deaths, especially those from AIDS, on the living arrangements of older people. The longitudinal data are from the Africa Centre Demographic Information System. In 2000, 3,657 older people (women aged 60 years or older, men 65 years or older) were resident in the area, and 3,124 households had at least one older member. The majority (87%) of older people lived in three-generation households. Households with older people were significantly poorer, more likely to be headed by a woman, and in homesteads with poorer quality infrastructure than households without older members. By January 2002, 316 (8%) of the older people in the sample had died. Of all the households with an older person, 12 per cent experienced at least one adult death from AIDS. The paper shows that older people, particularly those living alone or with children in the absence of other adults, were living in the poorest households. They were also coping with an increasing burden of young adult deaths, the majority of which were attributable to AIDS.

Download Full-text

Bionomics of Anopheles Arabiensis from Mamfene in KwaZulu-Natal (South Africa): An Area of High Malaria Transmission in the Province

10.21203/rs.3.rs-52165/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Rajendra Maharaj ◽

Vishan Lakan ◽

Kiash Maharaj

Keyword(s):

South Africa ◽

Vector Control ◽

Anopheles Arabiensis ◽

Mosquito Control ◽

Sex Ratios ◽

Adult Mosquito ◽

Mosquito Vector ◽

Larval Control ◽

Kwazulu Natal ◽

The Impact

Abstract Background: Although great strides have been made in controlling malaria, the disease is of significant public health importance. Historically, efforts to control the vector has concentrated on adult vector control targeting the female Anopheles mosquitoes. As there is now a focus on eliminating residual malaria from KwaZulu-Natal, new strategies are being investigated to increase the impact of malaria elimination strategies. Greater attention is now being given to larval control, as a complementary measure to indoor residual spraying. However, there is a large gap in knowledge of the bionomics of the larval stages of this mosquito vector of malaria in South Africa. In order to focus on both larval and adult mosquito control methods, larval development and the reproductive stages of the vector were investigated since these variables influences our ability to impact mosquito populations through larval control. This study was therefore conducted to determine the peak eruption times and the emergent sex ratios, as well as the peak egg oviposition time in order to attack the mosquito when it is at its most vulnerable and when control interventions will have the most impact.Results: Oviposition studies showed two peaks corresponding with late evening and again just before dawn. Most eggs were also laid in the first half of the night (18h00 – midnight). Most mosquitoes erupted just after sunset and the sex ratios showed that twice as many females as males emerged. Females readily took a bloodmeal after oviposition or just after erupting. Hatch rate to viable first instar larvae was 74.5%.Conclusions: The results of this study have provided information as to when interventions would be most effective in controlling mosquito populations and have provided information that highlights the value of larval control as a complementary measure to adult mosquito control. The most vulnerable stages of the female Anopheles arabiensis are when they have just emerged or when they have just oviposited. Vector control strategies should be designed to target these vulnerable stages at the breeding sites in order to have maximum impact.

Download Full-text