Low grade squamous intraepithelia lesions in HIV-infected women at Chris Hani Baragwanath academic hospital

A Dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Medicine in the branch of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. Johannesburg, 2016Background: HIV positive women have a greater risk of cancer of the cervix and they were also found to have high rates of prevalent and incident LSIL and HSIL. Both HIV and Cervical cancer are major public health problems in South Africa. This study will therefore assess whether HIV infected women with a LSIL on Pap smear have clinically significant cervical disease as determined by histology. Methods: HIV positive women with cytological abnormality on Pap smear are referred to colposcopy according to the SA guidelines. When the colposcopy is more than CIN2 a LLETZ is performed. Data was extracted from a colposcopy database. Results: There were 652 patients and the mean age was 36.55 years and the median parity was 3.00. There were 266 women (40.80%) who had a histology result of HPV/CIN 1 and 386 women (59.20%) who had a histology result of CIN 2 or more severe lesion. Conclusion: Our study showed that most of the patients that were referred to our colposcopy clinic had CIN2 or more severe on histology and there were 5 women with invasive disease. The time from performing the Pap smear to colposcopy is extremely long. It is important that women with LSIL be referred to colposcopy as soon as possible.MT201

Utilization of employee wellness program by the staff members at Natalspruit Hospital

Background: In 2006 the Gauteng Department of health endorsed a Wellness Program Policy. The policy was introduced and implemented in all Gauteng Province Hospitals. The policy spells out the integrated model of wellness program. The focus is to promote wellness, healthy lifestyle and assist the staff members who are ill while at work place. The department found it crucial to ensure that the staff members are well cared for in order to be productive. Aim: To describe the utilization of the various components of the wellness program by the staff members and to describe the outcome thereof. Methodology: The research design was a quantitative, cross sectional retrospective record review. The analysis focused on the records of the staff members of Natalspruit Hospital, who utilized the wellness program services from January to December 2009. The scope of the study covered all five components of wellness program as outlined by the Gauteng Department of Health Wellness Program Policy. Data was collected and analysed from 941 entries in the Wellness Clinic records. Conclusion: This research found that the average number of staff visits during the study period was 80.1(SD 22.1) which represents 80% of the total staff complement and that actual percentage of staff who utilized the service is much lower. However during the last month of the period under study attendance rate represented 5.8% of total staff establishment. The majority of the staff members were women (90%); female subjects were significantly younger than male subjects, p <0.01 (Mann Whitney’s test). The most professional and occupational categories that used the services were the nurses. The components that were mostly utilised was Birth control (48.9%); specifically for family planning, followed by the Occupational Health and Safety component in the area of Hepatitis B (11.5%) and needle prick (3.9%). The majority of the staff members continued with the services in the clinic (86.9%) while very few staff members were referred out of the clinic (5.3%) to the casualty/ out- patient department, court and ICAS. Only (7.76 %) of cases were resolved. The majority of the staff members utilized the organization and climate for management of health related problems component, especially in the services of birth control for family planning section. It seems a waste of resources to have an entire wellness program where staff members are mostly using it primarily for family planning, therefore the research described the basic requirements for effective EWP and also the importance of capacity needed for effective policy management, then suggested the comprehensive components. The report findings could benefit the Government in planning and operations of other Wellness Programs across the country

The attitudes and perception of students regarding counseling services

Published ArticleStudent Counseling is very important to the well being of the students. The purpose of this research is to investigate students' attitudes and perceptions regarding counseling services offered to help them to adjust to academic and social demands at tertiary level. A qualitative study was done through semi-structured interviews and survey questionnaires. A representative sample was drawn from the 1500 students at the institutions. The analysized data indicated that the students in this study were relatively optimistic about seeking counseling and about the positive effect of counseling offered. It is however recommended that the counselor should be more available for emergencies - which implicated more staff and better advertisement of the services available

The history of ticks and tick-borne diseases in cattle in Natal and Zululand (KwaZulu-Natal) from 1896 to the present.

Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2001.The main objective oft his dissertation was to identify the causes of the rise of the tick population in KwaZulu-Natal in 1999. After 100 years of intensive chemical tick control, tick numbers remain high and the stock losses caused by tick borne diseases are still significant. In South Africa legislation was introduced to support intensive chemical tick control. Ticks have consistently shown themselves to possess a genetic pool containing the potential to resist a wide range of chemical poisons. The introduction of new chemicals followed by widespread use, has often resulted in the appearance of a tick population resistant to those chemicals. The problem is compounded by the fact that some farmers are also found to be helping ticks to multiply by not following instructions given by the chemical industry on how to use dips. Chemicals which are used to control ticks are also beyond the financial means of many cattle owners especially in resource- poor communities. Apart from the high cost of intensive tick control, the chemicals that are used to destroy ticks are very poisonous, not only to ticks but to the birds which are natural predators of ticks. The negative effects of these chemicals on the environment combined with the high cost of tick control has forced a revision of intensive chemical tick control strategy. There is now a shift to use methods of tick control which are friendly to the environment and affordable to the resource-poor communities. This dissertation provides a historical overview of the problem in KwaZulu-Natal and recommendations on how to deal with the problem in future

The Relationship Between Labour Productivity and Economic Growth in South Africa from 2000-2016

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Management, University of the Witwatersrand, in 50% requirement of the requirements for the degree of Master of Management (in the field of Public and Development ManagementLabour Productivity is associated with the acceleration or slowing down of the rate of economic growth, at times without discerning the extent of the relationship between the two. The relationship is generally assumed and in the context of South Africa, it is mostly regarded as negative without an in-depth study of the nature of the relationship and concrete proposals on what should be done to turn it into a positive relationship. Now, especially after the global economic crises, there is a need to understand the nature of the relationship and how what consideration should be made by policy makers to take South Africa out of a growth slump. This quantitative study examines the relationship between labour productivity and economic growth from 2000 to 2016 in South Africa. The study relies on Gross Domestic Production, labour productivity and total factor productivity sourced from the South African Reserve Bank from 2000-2016. The study then applies a simple linear regression method to determine the strength of the relationship between labour productivity and economic growth. The results shows that in the period under review the contribution of labour towards growth have declined significantly whilst the economy has become capital intensive. We conclude the study with recommendations for policy makers on what should be done to improve labour productivity and ensure that the economy is driven from capital intensity to labour intensity.GR201

South Africa’s occupational retirement system : a comparative social security perspective

Continuous reforms of pension systems of countries of the world remain significant considering the fact that many countries, including South Africa, face challenges of how to adequately provide for their ageing populations. South Africa’s retirement system takes a formal three-pillar approach; comprising the state old-age pension, occupational funds, and private savings. Pension provision (occupational) takes the form of retirement funds which are mostly established by employers, administered by insurance companies, and regulated by the state through legislation. South Africa does not have a public fund and relies solely on the private retirement system. Many workers in South Africa retire with no income or with insufficient benefits and end up relying on the state for support. The reasons for this include a general lack of a culture of saving, the absence of a public fund, the voluntary nature of the system, leakages that exist within the system, a lack of mandatory preservation of benefits, risks with lump-sum cash payments, and the fact that the system focuses more on those in formal employment. This raises the question whether the system is in line with what is guaranteed by section 27 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 that everyone has a right to have access to social security. The right guarantees “everyone” access to some form of income (protection) during retirement, which makes retirement provision an important social security component. Thus, pensions play an important social security role as they protect the elderly from falling into poverty. Benefits received from retirement savings serve as income replacement in retirement and should therefore receive adequate protection, and they must be able to provide adequate protection to the beneficiaries – beyond mere survival. Over the years South Africa has embarked on many reform processes to find ways to improve its retirement system. This study determines the adequacy of South Africa’s occupational retirement system along social security objectives. It describes the nature of the system, considers proposals made for reform purposes, examines international law, (including systems in Belgium, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom for a comparative study), identifies weaknesses in the system, and makes some proposals to improve coverage and protection of benefits.Mercantile LawLL. D

The contribution of study tours to oversight in the Limpopo legislature.

The study explores the contribution made by study tours on oversight in the Limpopo Legislature during the period 2004-2009. Oversight and its impact on service delivery is described and examined. Key to the study is how the contribution of study tours on oversight has been construed by staff and committee members in the Limpopo Legislature. The study was conducted from a qualitative perspective through interviews, focus group discussion and documentary analysis. The results of the study show that lack of common understanding on oversight rendered the lessons drawn from study tours meaningless. Capacities to discharge the oversight function and leadership have been identified by the study as essential to committees and the legislature respectively. The findings show that this is most likely the first study on the contribution of study tours to oversight function within the legislative environment in the country. It is therefore significant because it sets out the background for future academic research on the topic

The social responsibility of South African trade unions : a labour law perspective

Trade unions have been in existence for many years. Although their introduction was generally met with resistance, since their establishment trade unions have been important agents of social change worldwide. Over the years, trade unions have been involved in politics and other societal activities. In South Africa, trade unions for many years not only fought for worker’s rights within the workplace but also beyond the workplace. Trade unions started as friendly societies aimed at assisting their members with various matters, including offering financial help for education purposes and also in cases of illnesses. Although the main purpose of trade unions is to regulate relations between employees and their employers, trade unions perform other functions in society which can be broadly referred to as their social responsibility role. Unlike corporate social responsibility, which is recognised and formalised, trade union social responsibility is not, with the role and importance of social responsibility for trade unions having been largely ignored. This thesis aims at changing this by investigating their core responsibilities and their social responsibilities and subsequently making recommendations on how trade unions could recognise and accommodate their social responsibilities in their activities. It also considers factors that could assist trade unions in fulfilling their social responsibilities. Trade unions generally obtain legislative support for their core responsibilities, but not their social responsibilities; however this should not obstruct trade unions in such endeavours. As modern organisations it is high time that trade unions make a contribution towards sustainable development through their social responsibility role.Private LawLL

Psychiatric nurses’ lived experiences after the closure of Life Esidimeni psychiatric care centres

M.Cur. (Psychiatric Nursing)Abstract: The closure of Life Esidimeni Care Centres in Gauteng Province, South Africa, not only caused the deaths of many patients who suffered from mental illness, but also caused the psychiatric nurses who worked at the centres to be unsettled about their future in the workplace. Most had to relocate to different public hospitals that were far from their original family setup, social networks, and they were consequently separated from their families. The purpose of this study was to explore and describe psychiatric nurses’ lived experiences after the closure of Life Esidimeni Care Centres in Gauteng and formulate recommendations to facilitate the mental health of the psychiatric nurses. A qualitative, exploratory, descriptive and contextual design was utilised in this study to answer the research question. The research was conducted in two phases. In Phase 1 the focus was on the exploration and description of the psychiatric nurses’ lived experiences. In Phase 2, guidelines to facilitate the mental health of the psychiatric nurses were formulated. A purposive sampling method was employed to select psychiatric nurses to participate in the study. Data were collected using face-to-face, individual, in-depth, phenomenological interviews. Tesch’s method of open coding was used to analyse the transcribed interviews and three themes emerged from the data analysis: 1. Psychiatric nurses experienced the closure of the care centre as a severe shock, leaving them feeling dismayed, and their lives disrupted in all spheres. 2. Psychiatric nurses had traumatic experiences related to the tragic disintegration of patients’ lives, and those of their families and work-life. 3. Psychiatric nurses showed resilience and were moving forward in rebuilding their lives. Credibility, transferability, dependability and confirmability strategies were implemented to ensure trustworthiness in the study. Moreover, the ethical principles of autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence and justice were adhered to throughout the study to safeguard the rights of the psychiatric nurses. Specific recommendations to facilitate the mental health of the psychiatric nurses who worked at Life Esidimeni at the time of the closure are presented

A needs assessment of persons suffering from schizophrenia in the Mogoto Village, Zebediela District

The system of care for persons suffering from schizophrenia is in a state of upheaval and the community in general is visibly frightened of an illness it knows little about except for the information acquired often from media reporting. Considering persons suffering from schizophrenia as holistic beings, this study explored and assessed the needs of these persons residing in the Mogoto Village, Zebediela District in the Northern Province. The primary purpose of the study was to explore and describe the holistic needs of persons suffering from schizophrenia thus facilitating the planning of care and care facilities for these individuals to enable them to function optimally in the community. To accomplish this purpose, specific objectives were formulated. A quantitative, exploratory and descriptive study based on the Nursing Theory for the Whole Person was carried out. Through purposive sampling 60 respondents were selected. A questionnaire was administered to the respondents. Data from questionnaires revealed that despite the diagnosis of schizophrenia, the respondents were still regarded as valuable members of the community by those who cared for them. There was also an indication that the needs of persons suffering from schizophrenia in the Mogoto Village did not differ from the needs of other persons in the rest of the world. Like any unique person they have specific needs. There was also an indication that mental illness is still rated low in the prioritisation of health problems, hence the lack of resources and support needed for the rehabilitation of persons suffering from schizophrenia, especially in the rural areas.Advanced Nursing SciencesM.A.(Nursing Science