Geoadditive models to assess spatial variation of HIV infections among women in Local communities of Durban,South Africa

Background  

The severity of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in South Africa varies between and within provinces, with differences noted even at the suburban scale. We investigated the geographical variability of HIV infection in rural areas of the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality in KwaZulu-Natal province, South Africa.     

Measuring adherence to antiretroviral treatment in resource-poor settings: The clinical validity of key indicators

Background  

Access to antiretroviral therapy has dramatically expanded in Africa in recent years, but there are no validated approaches to measure treatment adherence in these settings.     

An approach to heroin use disorder intervention within the South African context: A content analysis study

Background  

The field of heroin use disorder intervention has been in transition in South Africa since the outbreak of the heroin epidemic. Yet despite growing evidence of an association between heroin users' use of supplementary intervention services and intervention outcomes, heroin use disorder intervention programmes in South Africa generally fail to meet international research-based intervention standards.     

Times to drink: cross-cultural variations in drinking in the rhythm of the week

Objectives  

The time of drinking in terms of daytime versus evening and weekday versus weekend is charted for regular drinkers in 14 countries in Europe, Asia, Latin America, Africa and Oceania.     

Participatory approach to identify interventions to improve the health,safety, and work productivity of smallholder women vegetable farmers in the Gambia

Objective  

This paper describes the qualitative, community-based participatory approach used to identify culturally-acceptable and sustainable interventions to improve the occupational health, safety, and productivity of smallholder women vegetable farmers in The Gambia (West Africa).     

The migration of physicians from sub-Saharan Africa to the United States of America: measures of the African brain drain

Background  

The objective of this paper is to describe the numbers, characteristics, and trends in the migration to the United States of physicians trained in sub-Saharan Africa.     

Health workforce responses to global health initiatives funding: a comparison of Malawi and Zambia

Background  

Shortages of health workers are obstacles to utilising global health initiative (GHI) funds effectively in Africa. This paper reports and analyses two countries' health workforce responses during a period of large increases in GHI funds.     

Determinants of sexual activity and its relation to cervical cancer risk among South African Women

Background  

Invasive cervical cancer is the commonest cause of cancer morbidity and mortality in South African women. This study provides information on adult women's sexual activity and cervical cancer risk in South Africa.     

A systematic review of school-based sexual health interventions to prevent STI/HIV in sub-Saharan Africa

Background  

The HIV/AIDS epidemic remains of global significance and there is a need to target (a) the adolescent age-groups in which most new infections occur; and (b) sub-Saharan Africa where the greatest burden of the epidemic lies. A focused systematic review of school-based sexual health interventions in sub-Saharan Africa to prevent HIV/AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) in this age group was therefore conducted.     

Using data envelopment analysis to measure the extent of technical efficiency of public health centres in Ghana

Background  

Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) has been used to analyze the efficiency of the health sector in the developed world for sometime now. However, in developing economies and particularly in Africa only a few studies have applied DEA in measuring the efficiency of their health care systems.     

Knowledge and use of emergency contraception among women in the Western Cape province of South Africa: a cross-sectional study

Background  

Emergency contraception (EC) is widely available free of charge at public sector clinics in South Africa. At the same time, rates of teenage and unintended pregnancy in South Africa remain high, and there are few data on knowledge of EC in the general population in South Africa, as in other resource-limited settings.     

Home-based voluntary HIV counselling and testing found highly acceptable and to reduce inequalities

Background  

Low uptake of voluntary HIV counselling and testing (VCT) in sub-Saharan Africa is raising acceptability concerns which might be associated with ways by which it is offered. We investigated the acceptability of home-based delivery of counselling and HIV testing in urban and rural populations in Zambia where VCT has been offered mostly from local clinics.     

HIV prevention for South African youth: which interventions work? A systematic review of current evidence

Background  

In South Africa, HIV prevalence among youth aged 15-24 is among the world's highest. Given the urgent need to identify effective HIV prevention approaches, this review assesses the evidence base for youth HIV prevention in South Africa.     

A systematic review of existing national priorities for child health research in sub-Saharan Africa

Background  

We systematically reviewed existing national child health research priorities in Sub-Saharan Africa, and the processes used to determine them.     

"That is why I stopped the ART": Patients' &; providers' perspectives on barriers to and enablers of HIV treatment adherence in a South African workplace programme

Background  

As ART programmes in African settings expand beyond the pilot stages, adherence to treatment may become an increasing challenge. This qualitative study examines potential barriers to, and facilitators of, adherence to ART in a workplace programme in South Africa.     

Cost,affordability and cost-effectiveness of strategies to control tuberculosis in countries with high HIV prevalence

Background  

The HIV epidemic has caused a dramatic increase in tuberculosis (TB) in East and southern Africa. Several strategies have the potential to reduce the burden of TB in high HIV prevalence settings, and cost and cost-effectiveness analyses can help to prioritize them when budget constraints exist. However, published cost and cost-effectiveness studies are limited.     

An assessment of mental health policy in Ghana,South Africa,Uganda and Zambia

Background  

Approximately half of the countries in the African Region had a mental health policy by 2005, but little is known about quality of mental health policies in Africa and globally. This paper reports the results of an assessment of the mental health policies of Ghana, South Africa, Uganda and Zambia.     

Towards an understanding of barriers to condom use in rural Benin using the Health Belief Model: A cross sectional survey

Background  

HIV/AIDS is the most dramatic epidemic of the century that has claimed over two decade more than 3 million deaths. Sub Saharan Africa is heavily affected and accounts for nearly 70% of all cases. Despite awareness campaigns, prevention measures and more recently promotion of anti viral regimens, the prevalence of cases and deaths is still rising and the prevalence of systematic condom use remains low, especially in rural areas. This study identifies barriers to condom use based on the Health Belief Model (HBM) in Benin, West Africa.     

From strategy development to routine implementation: the cost of Intermittent Preventive Treatment in Infants for malaria control

Background  

Achieving the Millennium Development Goals for health requires a massive scaling-up of interventions in Sub Saharan Africa. Intermittent Preventive Treatment in infants (IPTi) is a promising new tool for malaria control. Although efficacy information is available for many interventions, there is a dearth of data on the resources required for scaling up of health interventions.