scholarly journals HIV Incidence Among Non-Pregnant Women Living in Selected Rural, Semi-Rural and Urban Areas in Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa

2011 ◽  
Vol 16 (7) ◽  
pp. 2062-2071 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gita Ramjee ◽  
Handan Wand ◽  
Claire Whitaker ◽  
Sheena McCormack ◽  
Nancy Padian ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Hiv Incidence ◽  
Rural And Urban Areas ◽  
Rural And Urban ◽  
Kwazulu Natal

DEATH ‘ON THE MOVE’: FUNERALS, ENTREPRENEURS AND THE RURAL–URBAN NEXUS IN SOUTH AFRICA

Africa ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 81 (2) ◽  
pp. 226-247 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebekah Lee
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Eastern Cape ◽  
Funeral Directors ◽  
Rural And Urban Areas ◽  
Rural And Urban ◽  
Cultural Mediators ◽  
The Dead

ABSTRACTThis article primarily concerns the intersection of the changing management of death with the problems and possibilities presented by the growing mobility of the African, and specifically Xhosa-speaking, population in South Africa from the latter half of the twentieth century to the present day. I am interested in how shifts in the practices and beliefs around death are mediated by individuals, households and businesses who have an historical affinity towards movement, particularly across what has been called the ‘rural–urban nexus’. In what ways has this more mobile orientation influenced the perception of rites and responsibilities surrounding death? And how have more mobile ‘ways of dying’ in turn created new subjectivities and new ways in which to imagine relations between the living and the dead? I argue that African funeral directors based in Cape Town and the rural areas of the Eastern Cape – a steadily more numerous and prominent group of entrepreneurs – are well-placed to shape these processes, through their role as cultural mediators and technological innovators, and their particular emphasis on maintaining a flow of bodies (both dead and alive) between rural and urban areas. I focus on two aspects of contemporary South African funerals – embalming and exhumations – that are suggestive of how the migration dynamic, and the continuing demands from mobile mourners for innovations via the funeral industry, have encouraged new perceptions of and relations to the dead body.

scholarly journals Challenges in estimating HIV prevalence trends and geographical variation in HIV prevalence using antenatal data: Insights from mathematical modelling

PLoS ONE ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (11) ◽  
pp. e0242595
Author(s):  
Leigh F. Johnson ◽  
Mmamapudi Kubjane ◽  
Jeffrey W. Eaton
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Geographical Variation ◽  
Sexual Experience ◽  
Hiv Prevalence ◽  
Hiv Incidence ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Prevalence Data

Background HIV prevalence data among pregnant women have been critical to estimating HIV trends and geographical patterns of HIV in many African countries. Although antenatal HIV prevalence data are known to be biased representations of HIV prevalence in the general population, mathematical models have made various adjustments to control for known sources of bias, including the effect of HIV on fertility, the age profile of pregnant women and sexual experience. Methods and findings We assessed whether assumptions about antenatal bias affect conclusions about trends and geographical variation in HIV prevalence, using simulated datasets generated by an agent-based model of HIV and fertility in South Africa. Results suggest that even when controlling for age and other previously-considered sources of bias, antenatal bias in South Africa has not been constant over time, and trends in bias differ substantially by age. Differences in the average duration of infection explain much of this variation. We propose an HIV duration-adjusted measure of antenatal bias that is more stable, which yields higher estimates of HIV incidence in recent years and at older ages. Simpler measures of antenatal bias, which are not age-adjusted, yield estimates of HIV prevalence and incidence that are too high in the early stages of the HIV epidemic, and that are less precise. Antenatal bias in South Africa is substantially greater in urban areas than in rural areas. Conclusions Age-standardized approaches to defining antenatal bias are likely to improve precision in model-based estimates, and further recency adjustments increase estimates of HIV incidence in recent years and at older ages. Incompletely adjusting for changing antenatal bias may explain why previous model estimates overstated the early HIV burden in South Africa. New assays to estimate the fraction of HIV-positive pregnant women who are recently infected could play an important role in better estimating antenatal bias.

scholarly journals Reframing the policy discourse: A comparative analysis of teacher preparation for rural and remote education in Australia, South Africa and Mexico

2021 ◽  
Vol 29 ◽  
pp. 82
Author(s):  
Susan Ledger ◽  
Alfred Masinire ◽  
Miguel Angel Díaz Delgado ◽  
Madeline Burgess
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Teacher Education ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Selection Process ◽  
National Policy ◽  
Policy Discourse ◽  
Local Context ◽  
Rural And Urban Areas ◽  
Rural And Urban ◽  
Policy Texts

The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has highlighted a ‘vicious cycle of decline’ in rural, regional and remote (RRR) regions, with significant inequalities in educational outcomes between rural and urban areas. However, interventions have not resulted in transformative or lasting improvements to education in rural contexts. This paper presents a cross-comparative country analysis of current global policy on RRR education. We used a policy analysis framework to interrogate national policy texts concerning teacher education for RRR contexts in three countries - Australia, South Africa and Mexico. A rigorous selection process of the literature yielded 17 key policy texts, which were examined for the influences, practices, language and outcomes relating to teacher education preparation for RRR locales. Findings highlighted a legacy of historical influences and a metrocentric bias in policy texts, with limited examples of assets-based education. We argue that these factors may be perpetuating the significant and persistent disadvantage in RRR education. We recommend an alternative policy discourse that recognises the productivities and potentialities of an assets-based approach within the local context, where school leaders and teachers are positioned as central change agents in RRR education.

scholarly journals Research Article: Impact of Cooking Fuel Choices on Maternal Lung Functions in Selected Rural and Urban Areas of Copperbelt Province, Zambia

2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 01-09
Author(s):  
David Mulenga
Keyword(s):  
Lung Function ◽  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Crop Residues ◽  
Respiratory Health ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
P Value ◽  
Cooking Fuel ◽  
Rural And Urban Areas ◽  
Rural And Urban

Background: Considering the respiratory health risk of exposure to biomass cooking fuel emissions, this study was conducted to elucidate the relationship between cooking fuel choices and declined pulmonary function in rural and urban population in the Copperbelt Province of Zambia. Methods: We carried out a cross-sectional study of 1,170 healthy nonsmoking pregnant women from Masaiti and Ndola predominantly using biomass fuel for cooking. Questionnaire based data was acquired along with standardized measures of lung function. MIR Spirobank G (Italy) was used in spirometry based on American Thoracic Standards. Results: The present study found that over two thirds (69.2%) of pregnant women in the study population use biomass for cooking and only 12.4 % use electricity only. Declined lung function was found to be statistically significantly associated with cooking fuel choices (p – value 0.005) and a weak association was observed with gravida at a p-value of 0.056. Pregnant women using crop residues as cooking fuel were two times more likely to have a declined lung function [AOR 2.33 (1.27, 4.30)] compared with pregnant women using mixed fuel type (biomass and electricity) and those using electricity only were 57% less likely to have a declined lung function [AOD 0.43 (0.26, 0.69)]. Conclusion: Use of biomass for cooking among pregnant women is a strong determinant of declined lung function. Interventions to improve maternal respiratory health outcomes in Zambia and other countries in sub-Saharan Africa should involve making cleaner cooking fuel energy options available and accessible by ordinary women from both rural and urban areas.

scholarly journals The Impact of Social Disparities on Microbiological Quality of Drinking Water Supply in Ugu District Municipality of Kwazulu-Natal Province, South Africa

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (16) ◽  
pp. 2972
Author(s):  
C. M. N. Khabo-Mmekoa ◽  
M. N. B. Momba
Keyword(s):  
Drinking Water ◽  
Urban Communities ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Microbiological Quality ◽  
Rural And Urban Areas ◽  
Rural And Urban ◽  
Kwazulu Natal ◽  
Brick And Mortar

This study was undertaken to highlight the social disparity between rural and urban areas in terms of housing patterns, provision of safe drinking water, access to sanitation facilities, education, employment rate and health-related to diarrhoeal episodes in Ugu District Municipality of KwaZulu-Natal Province of South Africa. To achieve this aim, a survey was conducted using a structured questionnaire. Drinking water samples were collected from the point of supply and the storage containers to assess the microbiological quality of drinking water in both rural and urban areas. Results of this study revealed prominent residential segregation between rural and urban communities, whereby the houses in the rural areas were generally constructed with corrugated iron sheets, or mud brick and mortar whereas conventional brick-and-mortar construction was used to build those in the urban areas. All of the urban households had flush toilets in their houses (100%), while 98.2% of the rural households were relying on pit latrines and 1.8% were reported to defecate in an open field. The District unemployment rate was at 58.1% in rural areas and none among the urban community. Results also showed that only 13.6% of the rural dwellers completed their secondary education compared to 70.4% of the urban areas. The diarrhoeal episodes were high in rural areas (34.1%) while none of these episodes was reported in urban areas. Great disparity in the water supply persists between rural and urban communities. For the former, the standpipes located outside their homes (90.9%) remain the sole mode of access to drinking water, while in the urban area, all households had pipes/taps inside their houses. Assessment of the drinking water quality revealed only the stored drinking water used by the rural community of Ugu District was contaminated. High prevalence of E. coli ranging from 63.3 % to 66.7% was recorded only in stored water after the sequencing of 16S rRNA genes. Species-specific PCR primers exposed the presence of enteropathogenic Escherichia coli at a rate ranging between 1.4% and 3.7% in this water Overall, this study has been able to highlight the disparity left by the legacy of racial segregation in the Ugu Municipality District. Therefore, the local government must intervene in educating homeowners on safe water storage practices.

scholarly journals Assessing the Effectiveness of e-Government and e-Governance in South Africa: During National Lockdown 2020

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 208
Author(s):  
P.P. Blom ◽  
D.E. Uwizeyimana
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Free Access ◽  
Municipal Services ◽  
Rural And Urban Areas ◽  
Services Delivery ◽  
Rural And Urban ◽  
The Government

This article aims to assess the effectiveness of e-Government and e-Governance service during the national lockdown in South Africa. The focus of this article is on e-Health, e-Education and e-Municipal Services delivery, as these are the most sought-after e-Services during the national lockdown caused by COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic in 2020. Education, health, and municipal services are some of the core functions that could not be paused during the lockdown due to their importance. The methodology used in this research is mainly qualitative. Unobtrusive research techniques based on documentary and theoretical analysis will be applied to assess the state and use of e-Government and e-Governance within the public sector during the national lockdown in South Africa. The findings of this article suggest that government failed to achieve its objective of building an inclusive Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) infrastructure in South Africa. Even though steps have been taken by the government to provide free access to basic e-Services, network coverage, and ICT infrastructures, poverty and inequality remain the major challenges in rural areas. The findings of this research suggest that the South African government needs to build ICT infrastructures in rural areas and to provide citizens with training on how to utilise ICT infrastructures in order to reduce the gap between rural and urban areas.

scholarly journals Self-Reported Physical Activity in Middle-Aged and Older Adults in Rural South Africa: Levels and Correlates

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (17) ◽  
pp. 6325
Author(s):  
Simone A. Tomaz ◽  
Justine I. Davies ◽  
Lisa K. Micklesfield ◽  
Alisha N. Wade ◽  
Kathleen Kahn ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Cognitive Capacity ◽  
Rural South ◽  
Factors Associated ◽  
Rural And Urban Areas ◽  
Rural And Urban ◽  
Global Physical Activity Questionnaire ◽  
Age Range

Little is known about physical activity (PA) levels and correlates in adults from rural settings in South Africa, where a rapid increase in the number of older people and marked disparities in wealth are evident, particularly between those living in rural and urban areas. This paper describes levels of self-reported PA in rural South African men and women and examines factors associated with meeting PA guidelines. Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ) data from the Health and Aging in Africa: Longitudinal studies of INDEPTH communities (HAALSI) survey of 5059 adults aged over 40 years were assessed. Logistic regression analyses were used to assess socio-demographic, functional and cognitive capacity, and chronic disease measures associated with PA. In addition, 75.4% (n = 3421) of the participants with valid GPAQ data (n = 4538 of 5059) met the PA guidelines. Factors associated with not the meeting PA guidelines were being male, over the age of 80 years, being in a higher wealth category, obesity, and poorer functional capacity. These findings highlight worthwhile targets for future interventions to maintain or improve PA levels in this population and suggest that intervening earlier within this age range (from 40 years) may be crucial to prevent the ‘spiral of decline’ that characterizes the frailty syndrome.

scholarly journals Profile of Double of Undernutrition Problem, Coexistence with Anemia among Pregnant Women Indonesia 2018: A Cross Sectional Survey

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (E) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ina Kusrini ◽  
Donny Kristanto Mulyantoro ◽  
Dwi Hapsari Tjandrarini ◽  
Hadi Ashar
Keyword(s):  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Body Height ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Rural And Urban Areas ◽  
Rural And Urban ◽  
Adverse Pregnancy

BACKGROUND: Anemia is the most common type of malnutrition in pregnant women, and when combined with another nutritional problem, it would increase the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes. AIM: This study aims to analyze the risk of double undernutrition in pregnant women with anemia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We used secondary data from the 2018 National Basic Health Survey as well as biomedical anemia samples. Anthropometric measurements were maternal body height, middle–upper circumference (MUAC) for chronic energy malnutrition (CEM); anemia was predicted using hemoglobin levels. The number of samples is 484, considering the minimum sample size for each undernutrition proportion. RESULTS: Anemia in pregnant women is not a single malnutrition issue. Almost one–third of pregnant women with anemia also had another form of undenutrition. In this study, the prevalence of anemia among pregnant women (%) is 35.7; stunted is 35.9, and CEM is 16.7. The malnutrition was identified as double nutritional problems coexistence to anemia, such as prevalence stunted–anemia (%) 12.5; anemia–CEM 9.2; and anemia–stunted–CEM 4.4. Overall, CEM is associated with anemia with p < 0.05 and AOR 2.25 (CI; 1.38–3.66), adjusted to height and type of residence, education, and occupation. Urban areas have a similar risk to rural areas with AOR for CEM to anemia, 2.29 (CI; 1.12–4.69); rural areas 2.23 (CI; 1.14–4.33), respectively. Moreover, women with double of undernutrition stunted–CEM in rural areas have a risk of anemia with AOR 2.75 (1.14–6.65). CONCLUSION: The risk of anemia in pregnant women with chronic energy malnutrition has increased more than twice in rural and urban areas.

HIV Incidence Remains High in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa: Evidence from Three Districts

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lungwani Muungo
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Contraceptive Use ◽  
Hormonal Contraceptive ◽  
Incidence Rates ◽  
Hiv Prevalence ◽  
Hiv Positive ◽  
Sexually Active ◽  
Hiv Incidence ◽  
Kwazulu Natal

Background: HIV prevalence and incidence among sexually active women in peri-urban areas of Ladysmith, Edendale, andPinetown, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, were assessed between October 2007 and February 2010 in preparation for vaginalmicrobicide trials.Methodology/Principal Findings: Sexually active women 18–35 years, not known to be HIV-positive or pregnant weretested cross-sectionally to determine HIV and pregnancy prevalence (798 in Ladysmith, 1,084 in Edendale, and 891 inPinetown). Out of these, approximately 300 confirmed non-pregnant, HIV-negative women were subsequently enrolled ateach clinical research center (CRC) in a 12-month cohort study with quarterly study visits. Women in the cohort studies wererequired to use a condom plus a hormonal contraceptive method. HIV prevalence rates in the baseline cross-sectionalsurveys were high: 42% in Ladysmith, 46% in Edendale and 41% in Pinetown. Around 90% of study participants at each CRCreported one sex partner in the last 3 months, but only 14–30% stated that they were sure that none of their sex partnerswere HIV-positive. HIV incidence rates based on seroconversions over 12 months were 14.8/100 person-years (PY) (95% CI9.7, 19.8) in Ladysmith, 6.3/100 PY (95% CI 3.2, 9.4) in Edendale, and 7.2/100 PY (95% CI 3.7, 10.7) in Pinetown. The 12-monthpregnancy incidence rates (in the context of high reported contraceptive use) were: 5.7/100 PY (95% CI 2.6, 8.7) inLadysmith, 3.1/100 PY (95% CI 0.9, 5.2) in Edendale and 6.3/100 PY (95% CI 3.0, 9.6) in Pinetown.Conclusions/Significance: HIV prevalence and incidence remain high in peri-urban areas of KwaZulu-Natal.

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