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- ItemUnlocking food safety: a comprehensive review of South Africa’s food control and safety landscape from an environmental health perspective(BMC Public Health, 2024-07-30) Mphaga, K.V.; Moyo, D.; Rathebe, P.C.Food fraud (often called fake food in South Africa) the deliberate misrepresentation or adulteration of food products for financial gain, is a growing problem in South Africa (SA) with severe public health and financial consequences for consumers and businesses. The recent public outcry against food fraud practices especially in communities that have lost loved ones due to the consumption of allegedly adulterated foodstuffs, highlights the grave danger that food fraud poses to consumers and the potential for significant reputational damage to food manufacturers. Despite the risks, food fraud often goes undetected, as perpetrators are becoming increasingly sophisticated. The precise magnitude of food fraud remains obscure, as incidents that do not cause consumer illnesses are frequently unreported and, as a result, are not investigated. Food fraud costs the global economy billion annually. This cost is borne by consumers, businesses, and the government. Food fraud can occur at any stage of the food supply chain, from production to processing to retailing or distribution. This is due in part to the limitations of current analytical methods, which are not always able to detect food fraud. This review of food fraud in SA looks at several factors that may be contributing to epidemic of food fraud, including inadequate penalties, inadequate government commitment, a complex labelling regulation, emerging threats such as e-commerce, and shortage of inspectors and laboratories. The review recommends establishing a single food control/safety authority, developing more food safety laboratories, and adopting innovative technologies to detect and prevent food fraud. SA faces a serious food fraud crises unless decisive action is taken.
- ItemBarriers to cervical cancer screening in Africa: a systematic review(BMC Public Health, 2024-02-20) Mantula, F.; Toefy, Y.; Sewram, V.Introduction Africa has one of the highest burdens of cervical cancer in the world. The unacceptably high incidence and mortality rates could be reduced through implementing a comprehensive approach to its prevention and control that includes screening, which however, is low in most low-and-middle-income countries. Hence, this systematic review aims at exploring factors that prevent women from utilising cervical cancer screening services in the region. Methods A mixed method systematic review was conducted. A search was performed on PubMed (Medline), EMBASE, CINAHL (EBSCOHOST) and Scopus databases for articles published until May 2019 without time, language or study design limits. Two reviewers critically appraised the included studies independently using the standard quality assessment criteria for evaluating primary research papers. Results of the quantitative and mixed methods studies were transformed into qualitative data and synthesised using thematic analysis. Results From a potential 2 365 studies, 24 from 11 countries met the eligibility criteria and were selected; eight qualitative, 13 quantitative, and three that used the mixed-method approach. The primary barriers were identified as poor access to screening services, lack of awareness and knowledge on cervical cancer and screening, and socio-cultural influences. Service providers perceived lack of skills, screening equipment and supplies, and staff shortages as the major barriers to the provision of screening services. Conclusion Barriers to cervical cancer screening in Africa are multifaceted and require a holistic approach that will address them concurrently at the health system, individual, interpersonal, community and structural levels. Political will complimented by stakeholder involvement is required in the development and implementation of strategies that will ensure acceptability, availability, accessibility, and affordability of screening to minimise barriers in accessing the service.
- ItemUnderstanding the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and its control measures on women and children: A Zimbabwe case study(medRxiv, 2024) Taruvinga, T.; Chingono, R.S; Olaru, I.D.; Masiye, K.; Madanhire, C.; Munhenzva, S.; Sibanda, S.; Mafuva, L.; O’Sullivan, N.; Osman, A.Y.; Deane, K.COVID-19 presented countries with unprecedented health policy challenges. For low-income countries in particular, policymakers had to contend with both the direct threats posed by COVID-19 as well as the social, educational, and economic harms associated with lockdown and other infection prevention and control measures. We present a holistic and contextualised case study of the direct and indirect impacts of COVID-19 on women and children, with some assessment of their uneven distribution across socio-economic, age and gender groups. We used different types of primary and secondary data from multiple sources to produce a holistic descriptive analysis. Primary data included: qualitative data obtained from 28 in-depth interviews of key informants, six focus group discussions; and 40 household interviews. We also extracted data from government reports and announcements, the District Health Information Software version 2 (DHIS2), newspaper articles and social media, as well as from published research articles. Our findings show that the direct and indirect adverse impacts of COVID-19 were compounded by many years of severe political economic challenges, and consequent deterioration of the healthcare system. The indirect effects of the pandemic had the most severe impacts on the poorest segment of society and widened age and gender inequalities. The pandemic and its accompanying infection prevention and control measures negatively affected health service delivery and uptake. The management of COVID-19 presented enormous challenges to policymakers and public health specialists. These included managing the greatest tension between direct and indirect harms; short-term and long-term effects; and the unequal distribution of harms across different segments of society.
- ItemHealth Screening Strategies for Artisanal and Small-Scale Miners for Tuberculosis, Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Silicosis: A Case of the USAID-Supported Kunda Nqob’iTB Project in Zimbabwe(International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2024-01-08) Moyo, D.; Kavenga, F.; Moyo, F.; Muzvidziwa, O.; Madziva, G.; Chigaraza, B.; Ncube, M.; Madadangoma, P.; Masvingo, H.; Muperi, T.C.; Mando, T.CArtisanal and small-scale mining is characterized by excessive exposure to physical, chemical, ergonomic, psychosocial and biological hazards. There is a high burden of tuberculosis (TB), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections and silicosis among artisanal and small-scale miners (ASMs). The aim of this project report is to describe lessons learned from strategies implemented to reach ASMs with screening services for TB, HIV and silicosis in Zimbabwe through the Kunda-Nqob’i TB (KNTB) project supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The intervention package for screening ASMs for TB, HIV and silicosis included service provision through two occupational health clinics at two provincial hospitals and a mobile workplace-based screening (WBS) facility at the mining sites. From 1 October 2020 to 30 September 2023, 10,668 ASMs were screened, with a high number of cases of silicosis (21%) and TB (7.4%). There was a high burden of HIV (30%) in ASMs attending the occupational health clinics. The two occupational health clinics screened 3453 ASMs, while the mobile WBS activities screened 7215 ASMs during the period. A total of 370 healthcare workers (doctors/clinical officers, nurses, environmental health technicians and district tuberculosis and Leprosy control officers) were trained on TB and the fundamental diagnostic principles of silicosis. The KNTB project has been successful in reaching out to many ASMs operating in remote and hard-to-reach mining areas. The KNTB project has brought to light the positive health-seeking behavior of ASMs operating in remote areas. The project has brought to the fore the effectiveness of multi-stakeholder engagement and collaboration in reaching out to ASMs in remote areas with health screening services. There is a high burden of TB, HIV and silicosis in ASMs. Screening for TB, HIV and silicosis using workplace-based screening and occupational health clinics is an effective strategy and should be rolled out to all areas with high artisanal and small-scale mining activity.
- ItemKNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDES AND PRACTICES OF STUDENT MIDWIVES TOWARDS CLINICAL LEARNING AT MIDWIFERY TRAINING INSTITUTIONS(Journal for Educators, Teachers and Trainers (JETT), 2023) Dube S, P.ccording to Fullerton, Thompson and Johnson (2013) Midwifery competence is the intended outcome of a program of midwifery studies. It is the preparation of a clinical practitioner to acquire a combination of knowledge, professional behaviour, competency in the context of midwifery education and practice (World Health Organization, 2013). The performance of student midwives on clinical assessments at midwifery training institutions is declining as from 2011 to date. Statistics from the registers of the midwifery training school show a decline in clinical assessments (8%-56%). The researchers carried out a preliminary study of forty finalist student midwives using a pre-tested questionnaire. As a result the pattern of poor performance on clinical assessments was the same in most midwifery schools. It is envisioned that the results of the study will benefit the nation at large through the provision of effective and efficient quality midwifery care by knowledgeable and competent midwives. A qualitative research was carried out where a questionnaire was administered to forty (40) finalist student midwives. Findings revealed that there was a shortage of staff to mentor and supervise students during clinical placement and there were few opportunities to update knowledge and skills in order to prepare for clinical teaching as a result mentors fail to supervise students on procedures. What emerged from the study again was that the number of student midwives and the requirements for each student are overwhelming, compromising clinical learning.(234 words)