Challenges Faced by Students with Hearing Impairment in Bulawayo Urban Regular Schools

There is a risk of students with hearing impairment being excluded from the teaching and learning that goes on, unless measures are taken to make sure they are fully included. This prompted this desktop study on problems associated with the inclusion of hearing impaired students in secondary schools. The study established that besides communication problems, students experienced feelings of anger, frustration and isolation depending on the dictates of the environment. Literature revealed that learning is a process that happens under observable and ideal conditions to the extent that situations in which students are placed deliberately or otherwise had great effects on them. The review of literature focused on the problem and its context. It also emerged that there was an opportunity for teachers and other stakeholders to reflect on their school and classroom practices with hearing impaired students and adopt effective strategies of managing them in inclusive secondary schools. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n9p44

Impact of HIV/AIDS education programmes in Mutare urban primary schools

This report presents results on the impact of Human Immuno-Deficiency Virus (HIV)/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) education programmes being implemented in Mutare urban primary schools. A random sample of 60 teachers from 14 schools in Mutare urban participated in this research. The descriptive survey research method was used in this study. Questionnaires were used as instruments of finding information from the respondents. The items on the questionnaires were based on sub-problems that were designed to answer the main research problem. Data was collected by distributing 60 questionnaires to primary school teachers who teach grades four to seven. Data was analysed by the use of tables, percentages and chi-square statistic. The main findings in this research were that the teachers have agreed that HIV / AIDS is a problem among children and nation at large. The study also indicated that the HIV / AIDS education programmes goals are being achieved. It also emerged that the AIDS pandemic has affected the education system but help is being realized from the AIDS education programmes. The research also revealed that pupils are empowered with the necessary life skills so that they make positive decisions which will create an AIDS free generation. However, it is recommended that the government needs to make some positive policies in order to help the infected and affected children in schools

Task-sharing with lay counsellors to deliver a stepped care intervention to improve depression, antiretroviral therapy adherence and viral suppression in people living with HIV: a study protocol for the TENDAI randomised controlled trial

INTRODUCTION: Non-adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) is the main cause of viral non-suppression and its risk is increased by depression. In countries with high burden of HIV, there is a lack of trained professionals to deliver depression treatments. This paper describes the protocol for a 2-arm parallel group superiority 1:1 randomised controlled trial, to test the effectiveness and cost effectiveness of the TENDAI stepped care task-shifted intervention for depression, ART non-adherence and HIV viral suppression delivered by lay interventionists. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: Two hundred and ninety people living with HIV aged ≥18 years with probable depression (Patient Health Questionnaire=>10) and viral non-suppression (≥ 1000 HIV copies/mL) are being recruited from HIV clinics in towns in Zimbabwe. The intervention group will receive a culturally adapted 6-session psychological treatment, Problem-Solving Therapy for Adherence and Depression (PST-AD), including problem-solving therapy, positive activity scheduling, skills to cope with stress and poor sleep and content to target barriers to non-adherence to ART. Participants whose score on the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 remains ≥10, and/or falls by less than 5 points, step up to a nurse evaluation for possible antidepressant medication. The control group receives usual care for viral non-suppression, consisting of three sessions of adherence counselling from existing clinic staff, and enhanced usual care for depression in line with the WHO Mental Health Gap intervention guide. The primary outcome is viral suppression (<1000 HIV copies/mL) at 12 months post-randomisation. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The study and its tools were approved by MRCZ/A/2390 in Zimbabwe and RESCM-18/19-5580 in the UK. Study findings will be shared through the community advisory group, conferences and open access publications. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT04018391