scholarly journals The psychosocial well-being of orphans in Southern Africa: the perception of orphans and teachers

2010 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
M W De Witt ◽  
A C Lessing
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Southern Africa ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Life World ◽  
Personal Experiences ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Developing Settings

The escalation in numbers of orphans in Sub-Saharan Africa has become a human catastrophe. If governments do not deal with this phenomenon as a priority it might spiral beyond control. Very few studies have been done to investigate the psychosocial impact of orphanhood on children and communities in developing countries. Very little is known about the life world of orphans in developing countries and even less is known about factors in these children’s lives which can affect their mental health. The researchers decided to undertake research in three areas in Southern Africa to investigate the psychosocial well-being of orphans and to compare the findings with existing research findings. A survey was done in three rural areas to determine the perceptions of orphans regarding their own personal experiences and emotional feelings which may reflect on psychosocial well-being, as well as the perceptions of teachers working with these orphans. Except for depression, the findings with regard to most of the psychosocial aspects were in accordance with the literature. The most important findings were that bereavement practices and approaches fit for developed communities might be of little value in developing settings. We are, however, more than aware that orphans from developed counties or even urban settings might differ from those of developing or deep rural areas.Keywords: Orphans; psychosocial well-being; bereavement; poverty; stigmatisation 

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.

Assessing Impacts of Indicators of Child Wealth Index in Africa: A Study of Four Regions in Sub-Saharan Africa

2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Choja Oduaran ◽  
Christopher Godwin Udomboso
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Multinomial Logistic Regression ◽  
Wealth Index ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Housing Conditions ◽  
Research Attention ◽  
Western Africa ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Positive Correlations

Recently, the well-being of children in developing countries has attracted much research attention. However, literature is sparse on the effects of family well-being on the child. This study assesses indicators of the Child Wealth Index in Africa, in four out of five regions of the continent of Africa, based on countries with the highest and lowest Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The regions include Central, Eastern, Southern, and Western Africa. Data were obtained from the latest Demographic and Health Survey of each country, where each respondent family was categorised into either “poor,” “middle” or “rich.” Multinomial logistic regression was utilised to study the effects of the indicators used in this study, on child well-being. Results show that the majority of countries have more children in the poor category, especially in rural areas. Furthermore, there are negative correlations between Child Wealth Index and residence, and positive correlations between Child Wealth Index and housing conditions with access to electricity. Indicators of the Child Wealth Index include highest education, place of residence, housing conditions, toilet facility, and access to electricity and appliances. It is inferred that many countries in Africa have a low Wealth Index despite their high GDP. Therefore, African governments need to improve the living standards of their people.

South-to-South and Donor-driven Diffusion in Sub-Saharan Africa

2021 ◽  
pp. 158-180
Author(s):  
Brian Wampler ◽  
Stephanie McNulty ◽  
Michael Touchton
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Local Governance ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Development Projects ◽  
Marginalized Communities ◽  
New Development ◽  
Sub Saharan

Governments in sub-Saharan Africa began to adopt PB in the early 2000s. The World Bank, USAID, DFID, and other international organization led the push to expand PB. By 2019, the region included more than nine hundred programs. PB’s diffusion across sub-Saharan Africa has led to its transformation in scale, rules, and impact. Most PB programs in sub-Saharan Africa focus on building accountability and allowing participants to select small-scale development projects. These programs are located both in major cities (Maputo, Nairobi) as well as in poor, rural areas across the region. These programs are intended to improve local governance, but the involvement of international donors means that local governments must address their concerns as well as those of participants. The programs also emphasize placing new development projects in poor, marginalized communities, thus retaining potential for improving well-being. This chapter documents these trends by focusing on PB in Kenya, Madagascar, Mozambique, Senegal, South Africa, and Uganda.

scholarly journals Is water carriage associated with the water carrier’s health? A systematic review of quantitative and qualitative evidence

2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. e000764 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jo-Anne Lee Geere ◽  
Moa Cortobius ◽  
Jonathan Harold Geere ◽  
Charlotte Christiane Hammer ◽  
Paul R Hunter
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Web Of Science ◽  
Citation Index ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Gender Based Violence ◽  
Arts And Humanities ◽  
Qualitative Evidence ◽  
Sub Saharan

IntroductionThe work of carrying water falls mainly on women and children, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa and rural areas. While concerns have been raised, how water carriage is associated with health of the water carrier is not clear. The aim of this review is to summarise evidence on whether, and how, water carriage is associated with the water carrier’s health.MethodsA systematic review of literature was conducted, searching Embase; Medline; Web of Science Social Sciences Citation Index; Web of Science Arts and Humanities Citation Index; International Initiative for Impact Evaluation website; WHO Virtual Health Sciences Library and WHO African index medicus, from inception to 8 November 2017.ResultsForty-two studies were included. Their ability to demonstrate cause and effect relationships was limited by study design and fair or poor methodological quality. Overall, the studies suggest that water carriage is associated with negative aspects of the water carriers’ health. There is moderate quantitative and strong qualitative evidence that water carriage is associated with pain, fatigue, perinatal health problems and violence against vulnerable people, and inconclusive evidence of an association with stress or self-reported mental health and general health status.ConclusionIn many circumstances, water carriage is a potential barrier to Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6 target ‘universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all’ and SDG 3 ‘ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages’. Efforts should focus on providing water on premises, and where this is not possible, providing water close to home and reducing risk of gender-based violence.

scholarly journals Modelling latrine diffusion in Benin: towards a community typology of demand for improved sanitation in developing countries

2009 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 166-183 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marion W. Jenkins ◽  
Sandy Cairncross
Keyword(s):  
Cluster Analysis ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Scaling Up ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Demand Characteristics ◽  
Improved Sanitation ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Low Coverage ◽  
Infrastructure Services

Latrine diffusion patterns across 502 villages in Benin, West Africa, were analysed to explore factors driving initial and increasing levels of household adoption in low-coverage rural areas of sub-Saharan Africa. Variables explaining adoption related to population density, size, infrastructure/services, non-agricultural occupations, road and urban proximity, and the nearby latrine adoption rate, capturing differences in the physical and social environment, lifestyles and latrine exposure involved in stimulating status/prestige and well-being reasons for latrine adoption. Contagion was most important in explaining adoption initiation. Cluster analysis revealed four distinct village typologies of demand for latrines which provide a framework for tailoring promotional interventions to better match the different sanitation demand characteristics of communities in scaling-up sanitation development and promotion programmes.

scholarly journals THE IMPACT OF MICROFINANCE BANKS IN RURAL AREAS OF SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA

2017 ◽  
Vol 5 (9) ◽  
pp. 80-90
Author(s):  
Isabelle Musanganya ◽  
Chantal Nyinawumuntu ◽  
Pauline Nyirahagenimana
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
Developing Countries ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Poverty Reduction ◽  
Bank Loans ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Poor People ◽  
Post Conflict ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
The Impact

Many researchers consider microfinance as a tool for poverty reduction. Even more, especially in post-conflict African countries, micro-financial institutions are seen as an opportunity of reconciliation. Lending from microfinance institutions to that from traditional banks and examine their respective effects upon economic growth has been practiced in some sub-Saharan countries. Considerable progress in research has been found that microfinance loans raise growth comparatively to that of traditional banks. A lot of number of researches carried out in sub-Saharan countries even in other developing countries outside of Africa did not find strong evidence that bank loans raise growth. There is, however, some evidence that bank loans do increase investment, whereas microfinance loans do not appear to do so. Differently, other researchers highlighted clearly that microfinance can provide its contribution on poverty reduction and better access to finance needed for startup micro-entrepreneurs along the world. These results suggest that microfinance loans are not primarily invested as physical capital in developing countries, but could still augment total factor productivity, whereas banks may have been financing non-productive investments. Herein, we highlighted the impact of microfinance banks on developing countries economic growth. We also indicate how microfinances system incorporated in rural areas boosted the lifestyle of poor people in Sub-Saharan Africa.

scholarly journals Prevalence of first adolescent pregnancy and its associated factors in sub-Saharan Africa: A multi-country analysis

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. e0246308
Author(s):  
Bright Opoku Ahinkorah ◽  
Melissa Kang ◽  
Lin Perry ◽  
Fiona Brooks ◽  
Andrew Hayen
Keyword(s):  
Adolescent Pregnancy ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Associated Factors ◽  
Unmet Need ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Demographic And Health Surveys ◽  
Relationship Education ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Sub Saharan

Introduction In low-and middle-income countries, pregnancy-related complications are major causes of death for young women. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of first adolescent pregnancy and its associated factors in sub-Saharan Africa. Methods We undertook a secondary analysis of cross-sectional data from Demographic and Health Surveys conducted in 32 sub-Saharan African countries between 2010 and 2018. We calculated the prevalence of first adolescent (aged 15 to 19 years) pregnancy in each country and examined associations between individual and contextual level factors and first adolescent pregnancy. Results Among all adolescents, Congo experienced the highest prevalence of first adolescent pregnancy (44.3%) and Rwanda the lowest (7.2%). However, among adolescents who had ever had sex, the prevalence ranged from 36.5% in Rwanda to 75.6% in Chad. The odds of first adolescent pregnancy was higher with increasing age, working, being married/cohabiting, having primary education only, early sexual initiation, knowledge of contraceptives, no unmet need for contraception and poorest wealth quintile. By contrast, adolescents who lived in rural areas and in the West African sub-region had lower odds of first adolescent pregnancy. Conclusion The prevalence of adolescent pregnancy in sub-Saharan African countries is high. Understanding the predictors of first adolescent pregnancy can facilitate the development of effective social policies such as family planning and comprehensive sex and relationship education in sub-Saharan Africa and can help ensure healthy lives and promotion of well-being for adolescents and their families and communities.

scholarly journals Intersectional stigma and its impact on HIV prevention and care among MSM and WSW in sub-Saharan African countries: a protocol for a scoping review

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. e047280
Author(s):  
Gamji M’Rabiu Abubakari ◽  
Debbie Dada ◽  
Jemal Nur ◽  
DeAnne Turner ◽  
Amma Otchere ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hiv Prevention ◽  
Data Extraction ◽  
Grey Literature ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Scoping Reviews ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Meta Analyses

IntroductionResearch has established that various forms of stigma (HIV stigma, gender non-conforming stigma and same-gender sex stigma) exist across Sub-Saharan Africa and have consequences for the utilisation of HIV prevention and care services. Stigmas are typically investigated in HIV literature individually or through investigating individual populations and the various stigmas they may face. The concept of intersectionality highlights the interconnected nature of social categorisations and their ability to create interdependent systems of discrimination based on gender, race, sexuality and so on. Drawing from perspectives on intersectionality, intersectional stigma denotes the convergence of multiple marginalised identities within an individual or a group, the experiences of stigma associated with these identities as well as the synergistic impact of these experiences on health and well-being. With respect to HIV, public health scholars can examine the impacts of intersectional stigmas on HIV prevention and care utilisation.Methods and analysisReviewers will search systematically through MEDLINE, Global Health, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science Core Collection and Africa Index Medicus and citations for quantitative studies, qualitative studies and grey literature that include data on stigma and HIV among men who have sex with men and women who have sex with women in Sub-Saharan Africa. Eligible studies will include primary or secondary data on stigma related to HIV risk factors experienced by this population. Studies will be written in French or English and be published between January 1991 and November 2020. All screening and data extraction will be performed in duplicate, and if discrepancies arise, they will be settled by GM’RA, LEN, DD or AO. Findings from this study will be reported according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews.Ethics and disseminationEthics approval is not required as there will be no human participants and no protected data will be used in this study. We will disseminate findings through peer-reviewed manuscripts, conferences and webinars.

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