The epidemiology of injury and illness amongst athletes at the Indian Ocean Island Games, Mauritius, 2019

BACKGROUND: The Indian Ocean Island Games is a multi-sport event that occurs every four years and includes athletes from seven islands of the Indian Ocean, namely, Comoros, Reunion, Mayotte, Madagascar, Maldives, Seychelles, and Mauritius. OBJECTIVES: This study aims to describe the injury and illness epidemiology of the athletes participating during the 2019 Indian Ocean Islands Games. METHODS: This prospective cohort study recorded injury and illness cases from athletes who competed in these Games. All medical physicians received detailed instructions and training on data collection using an injury report form. All athletes (minors and adults) who provided consent, or consent given from the minors’ guardians, were included in this study. Athletes who did not provide consent for this study were excluded. RESULTS: Athletes (n = 1 521; 531 women and 990 men) reported 160 injuries (injury incidence rate of 11%) and 85 illnesses (illness incidence rate of 6%). The percentage of distribution of injuries were highest in football and basketball. Most injuries occurred during competition, compared with training, joint sprains were the most common type of injury (28%), followed by muscle strains (19%). Men suffered most of the injuries (79% vs. 21% for women). Similarly, men sustained more illnesses than women (57% vs. 43%). Most illnesses affected the respiratory system (67%), and infection was the most common cause of illness (84%) in participating athletes. CONCLUSION: These findings are similar to previous events in other parts of the world. However, unique ailments, not previously reported on, were discovered. Epidemiological data from this study can be inferred to athletes who compete in similar multisport events in the Indian Ocean region.http://sajsm.org.za/index.php/sajsmPhysiotherap

Structural Controls on Crustal Fluid Circulation and Hot Spring Geochemistry Above a Flat‐Slab Subduction Zone, Peru

Hot spring geochemistry from the Cordillera Blanca and Cordillera Huayhuash, Peru, reveal the influence of crustal‐scale structures on geothermal fluid circulation in an amagmatic region located above a flat‐slab subduction zone. To test the influence of contrasting modes of faulting in these regions, springs were targeted along the Cordillera Blanca detachment fault, within its hanging wall, in the footwall of the detachment, and in the Cordillera Huayhuash. Hot springs along the Cordillera Blanca detachment fault zone are associated with recent extension and normal faulting, and those in its footwall and the Cordillera Huayhuash are located in the Marañon fold and thrust belt where compressional structures dominate. Springs along and in the hanging wall of the Cordillera Blanca detachment fault yield brackish‐saline, alkaline‐chloride waters, with oxygen, hydrogen, carbon, and chlorine stable isotope values that suggest mixing between meteoric groundwater and saline brine affected by high water‐rock interaction. Geothermometry reservoir temperature estimates (RTEs) of 91–226°C indicate maximum flow path depths of 8.7 or 11 km, depending on geothermal gradient, associated with the Cordillera Blanca detachment fault. In contrast, springs in the footwall and in the Cordillera Huayhuash exhibit a wide range of water types with an isotopic affinity to meteoric water, suggesting a greater influence from shallow groundwater and less water‐rock interaction. For these springs, RTEs of 40–98°C correspond to much shallower circulation (1.6–4 km). Results indicate that the Cordillera Blanca detachment system accommodates significantly deeper circulation of crustal fluids compared to other regional compressional structures

Identifying transboundary aquifers in need of international resource management in the Southern African Development Community region

Transboundary aquifer (TBA) management, in part, seeks to mitigate degradation of groundwater resources caused either by an imbalance of abstraction between countries or by cross-border pollution. Fourteen potential TBAs were identified within a hydrogeological mapping programme based on simple hydrogeological selection criteria for the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region. These have been reassessed against a set of data associated with five categories: (1) groundwater flow and vulnerability (which is perceived as the over-arching influence on the activity level of each TBA), (2) knowledge and understanding, (3) governance capability, (4) socio-economic/water-demand factors, and (5) environmental issues. These assessments enable the TBAs to be classified according to their need for cross-border co-operation and management. The study shows that only two of the 14 TBAs have potential to be the cause of tension between neighbouring states, while nine are potentially troublesome and three are unlikely to become problematic even in the future. The classification highlights the need to focus on data gathering to enable improved understanding of the TBAs that could potentially become troublesome in the future due to, for example, change in demographics and climate

Position paper: The essential role of physiotherapists in providing rehabilitation services to people living with HIV in South Africa

Despite increased access to highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) in South Africa, there remains a high risk of people living with HIV (PLHIV) developing a wide range of disabilities. Physiotherapists are trained to rehabilitate individuals with the disabilities related to HIV. Not only can South African physiotherapists play a significant role in improving the lives of PLHIV, but by responding proactively to the HIV epidemic they can reinforce the relevance and value of the profession in this country at a time when many newly qualified therapists are unable to secure employment. This paper offers recommendations that may help to fuel this response. These ideas include enhancing HIV curricula at a tertiary level, designing and attending continuing education courses on HIV and researching Southern African rehabilitation interventions for HIV at all levels of practice. Furthermore, it is vital that physiotherapists are at the forefront of directing multi-disciplinary responses to the rehabilitation of PLHIV in order to influence stakeholders who are responsible for health policy formulation. It is hoped that this paper stimulates discussion and further ideas amongst physiotherapists and other health professionals in order to improve the quality and access to care available to PLHIV in South Africa

A critical overview of transboundary aquifers shared by South Africa

Transboundary groundwater commonly implies a body of groundwater intersected by a political border with the attendant potential threat of dispute over a shared resource. This definition is inadequate in many parts of southern Africa. Approximately 96% of South Africa’s borders are underlain by low-yielding aquifers and, coupled with a low demand for water attendant on low population density, the risk of over-pumping or pollution leading to dispute is low, and a modified understanding is required. Examples of transboundary aquifers are used to illustrate implications for policy and management of southern African transboundary groundwater resources, where transmissivities are low and, less commonly, where over-pumping may indeed be a problem. The general lack of technical cooperation, data sharing, training and research between the riparian states on hydrogeology hampers a mutual understanding of the resources. The concept of transboundary groundwater must necessarily include aquifers where little cross-border flow occurs, but where cross-border cooperation will help to ensure sustainable cooperative utilisation of shared aquifer resources. This is imperative if future disputes are to be averted. Agreement between scientists is a necessary precursor to broader transnational governance agreements in regard to shared water resources, and recent initiatives by the Orange-Senqu River Commission promise closer integration