An examination of the response of the Cape Mental Health Society to the mental health needs of blacks in the Western Cape

Includes bibliography.This study examined the response of the Cape Mental Health Society to the mental health problems of Blacks in the Western Cape. This response has been examined against the organisational and the community contexts in which such services are provided. Environmental constraints which surround service provision were examined at macro- and micro-level. The macro-level covered the unfavourable political, social and economic aspects as experienced by both the organisation and its clientele. The micro-level covered those aspects which impinge on service delivery but are within the scope of the organisation. It is agreed that these aspects affect the nature of the response of the organisation to mental health needs of blacks negatively. The study emphasizes the need to define mental health within the South African context from a psychiatric and socio-political perspective as such a definition allows for appropriate service provision. Data was collected from primary and secondary sources. Interviewing was used as a technique for collecting primary data. Structured and unstructured interviews were carried out with people from various disciplines, community members, and present and prospective service consumers. The exploratory-descriptive approach was used. The problems and needs of clients were quantified in terms of the organisation's waiting lists and other criteria. Services rendered by the Society were quantified in terms of clients being served and the number of projects and programmes undertaken to meet different mental health needs. Ideas have been developed about mental health services amongst the black communities and their cultural perception of mental health needs. The findings emphasize inadequacy of the response of the Cape Mental Health Society to mental health needs of blacks. The present facilities are insufficient and inappropriate to mental health needs of blacks. They are characterised by inaccessibility, inefficiency and ineffectiveness where they do exist. A marked inequality in the provision of services to the two population groups, that is, Coloureds and Blacks, has been identified. A framework for developing mental health services for blacks in the Western Cape has been recommended. This framework proposed various steps which can be taken in such development

The effect of the Gauteng Enterprise Propeller’s support on the manufacturing MSMEs

Abstract: Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) are regarded as the vehicles for economic growth, employment creation and poverty reduction. However, recent reports and studies show that small businesses in South Africa are not creating jobs. The purpose of this study is to assess the effect of the support provided by the Gauteng Enterprise Propeller (GEP) on MSMEs in Gauteng. The study was conducted to understand the kind of support the GEP provides to MSMEs and the effect of that support on their annual turnover, employment and income level for employees. A descriptive research strategy using mixed methods of data collection was employed. Primary data was gathered through questionnaires which were sent to MSMEs while secondary data was obtained from the GEP’s reports. The study found that the support provided by the GEP is generic and does not respond to specific needs of the MSMEs. Furthermore, the support provided by the GEP was found to be supply-side driven as it is not informed by the needs of the MSMEs. With regards to the effect of the support on these enterprises, it was found that the support resulted in an increase in annual turnover and income levels for employees while employment remained stagnant. MSMEs prioritised higher productivity as opposed to increasing the number of employees.M.Phil. (Industrial Policy

A comparison of propofol and etomidate as anaesthetic agents for elective non-cardiac surgery

Background: To compare propofol and etomidate as anaesthetic agents for elective non-cardiac surgery with respect to stability of haemodynamic parameters, systemic side effects and quality of induction.Methods: Randomised, blinded study of 100 patients posted for elective non-cardia surgery under general anaesthesia, divided in to two group. In group P(n=50) induction was achieved with injection Propofol 1mg/kg, whereas in group E(n=50), it was achieved with injection etomidate 0.3mg/kg after premedication with injection midazolam 0.04mg/kg and fentanyl 2µg/kg in both the group. Hemodynamic parameters like, heart rate, systolic BP, diastolic BP, Mean BP and induction time in seconds, pain on injection, myoclonus, post-operative nausea, vomiting were recorded at different time intervals (base line, at induction, immediately after intubation and 1,3,5 and 15 min after intubation).Results: There was no statistically difference was found in demographic profile and baseline hemodynamic parameters but significant different was found in intraoperative mean HR, SBP, DBP, MBP at various time intervals, and our result was more in favour of E group as compare to P, in which above recorded vital parameters were decreased more than E and induction time was also faster in E as compare to P. Pain on injection and post-operative nausea, vomiting was more in group P as compare to E, however the myoclonus movements was more in E group as compare to P but statistically not significant.Conclusions: Etomidate is a better intravenous induction agent of anaesthesia than Propofol in hemodynamically unstable patient also as it has faster onset of action with less pain and post-operative nausea, vomiting with good hemodynamic stability

Online) An Open Access

ABSTRACT Blood transfusion service (BTS) is an integral and indispensable part of the healthcare system. TTI is still a major concern to all stakeholders i.e. patients, physicians and policy makers to have a risk-free blood supply. Analysis of seroprevalence and trends of infectious markers of HIV, HBV and HCV among voluntary and replacement donors population at a tertiary care centre was done to assess the safe blood supply. A data-based study covering 7 years period (2007 -2013) . Total prevalence for HIV, HBV and HCV was 2.11 % with predominance of male donors (98.17%) and only 1.83 % female donors. Amongst all sero-reactive donors, proportion of voluntary donors was significantly low (0.3%) as compared to replacement donors (99.7%). All the voluntary donors were males and sero-reactive for HBV. The overall prevalence for HIV, HBV and HCV were 0.29%, 1.30% and 0.52% respectively. HIV seropositivity showed decreasing trends from 0.41% to 0.22%. Prevalence of HBV rose significantly in initial years from 0.90% to 3% in 2009 but 2010 onwards, it showed decreasing trend from 1.11% (2010) to 0.71%(2013).Seropositivity for HCV increased significantly from 0.34% to 0.59% in 2008 but afterwards, HCV remained almost constant to 0.57% .High number of replacement donors reflects lack of awareness in general population, misconception and fears for blood donation and lack of health education. There is need to have multidimensional strategies to improve health sector especially fragmented BTS with awareness and emphasis on voluntary donations, adequate infrastructure and trained manpower, strict donor selection criteria and inclusion of improved technologies like NAT for detecting infectious markers to ensure safer blood supply

A National Greenhouse Gas Inventory Management System for South Africa

South Africa has committed to reducing its contribution to the global GHG budget. It ratified the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Kyoto Protocol. The UNFCCC stipulates that Non-Annex 1 countries are required to submit inventory reports every two years as part of their Biennial Update Reports (BURs) or National Communications (NCs). To assist with this increased reporting a National GHG Inventory Management System (NGHGIS), with new internal procedures and capacities, isbeing developed. The NGHGIS has been designed to ensure transparency, consistency, comparability, completeness and accuracy of the GHG inventory. It ensures the quality of the inventory through planning, preparation and management of inventory activities. The NGHGIS has been set up in a web-based, collaborative platform that allows for document management, sharing and storage. The main components of the NGHGIS are the (a) organisational structure; (b) inventory preparation work plan where responsibilities are assigned; (c) data supplier and stakeholder lists; (d) input datasets (linked to the stakeholder list) providing information on required data, MOU’s, and data due dates; (e) quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC) objectives, checks, logs and tools; (f) emission calculation method statements; (g) GHG inventory outputs which include estimation files, a trend viewer and a public website; and (h) improvement plans. In addition to the web-based system, new institutional arrangements and data flows have been proposed, the legal landscape has been mapped, draft MOUs for data suppliers have been drawn up and a detailed QA/QC plan has been developed. The final stage of the NGHGIS is the development of the data collection plan and technical guidelines for the Agriculture, Forestry and Other Land Use (AFOLU) and Waste sectors. The centralised NGHGIS will reduce the loss of information, improve continuity between inventories and assist in the timely completion of inventory updates

Geographies of Digital Wasting: Electronic Waste From Mine to Discard and Back Again

What is electronic waste? E-waste conjures images of discarded computers, phones, TVs, hard drives, and endless piles of broken components at the end of their useful life. As a post-consumer object, e-waste is the fastest growing waste stream on the planet and an escalating environmental emergency. The issue of e-waste embodies global and regional inequities between geographies of digital consumption and geographies of digital wasting. Inequities in global flows of e-waste have been documented between high-income nations in the Global North, like the United States, and lower-income nations in the Global South. Inter-regional flows of e-waste also occur between South-to-South nations, which leaves countries like Zimbabwe overburdened with tonnes of toxic digital waste to process. But the true expanse and diversity of waste generated in the building and maintenance of digital life goes well beyond the unequal movement of post-consumer discards. In fact, recent studies have shown that a majority of the waste and pollution produced during the life of most computing devices comes from resource extraction and manufacturing {Lepawsky, 2017; Gupta et al., 2020). This exhibit illuminates the vast networks of digital wastes that stretch across varied geographies of extraction, manufacturing, operation, and discard

A multi-stakeholder situation assessment of COVID-19 disease preparedness and mitigation measures in a large prison complex in Malawi.

Purpose: Prisons in the sub-Saharan African region face unprecedented challenges during the COVID19 pandemic. In Malawi, the first prison system case of COVID-19 was notified in July 2020. While, prison settings were included in the 2nd domestic COVID-19 response plan within the Law Enforcement cluster (National COVID-19 preparedness and response plan, July-December 2020), they were initially not included in the K157 billion (USD 210 million) COVID-19 fund. Design/methodology/approach: A multi-method situation assessment of the COVID-19 response and human rights assurance of prisoners and staff was conducted in a large prison complex in Malawi. Qualitative research underpinned by the Empirical Phenomenological Psychological (EPP) framework consisted of interviews with key informants such as prison health personnel, senior prison staff, penal and judicial policymakers, government and civil society organisations (n = 14) and focus group discussions with consenting male (n = 48) and female prisoners (n = 48), and prison wardens (n = 24). Prison site visits were supported by detailed observations based on the WHO Checklist for COVID-19 in prisons (n = 9). Data were collected and analysed thematically using the EPP stepwise approach and triangulated based on Bronfenbrenner’s model conceptualising COVID-19 as a multi-level event disrupting the prison eco-system. Findings: The results are presented as MICRO-MESO level individual and community experiences of incarceration during COVID-19 spanning several themes: Awareness raising and knowledge of COVID-19 in prisons; Prison congestion and the impossibility of social distancing; Lack of adequate ventilation, hygiene and sanitation and Provisions and correct use of personal protective equipment (PPE); MESO-MACRO level interplay between the prison community of prisoners and staff and judicial policy impacts; Medical system COVID-19 response, infrastructure and access to healthcare; COVID19 detection and quarantine measures and Prisoner access to the outside world. Originality: This unique situation assessment of the Malawian prison system response to mitigate COVID-19 illustrates the dynamics at the micro-level whereby prisoners rely on the State and have restricted agency in protecting themselves from disease. This is due to severe structural inadequacies based on low resource allocation to prisons leading to a compromised ability to prevent and treat disease; an infirm and congested infrastructure and bottlenecks in the judicial system fueling a continued influx of remand detainees leading to high over capacity. Multi-pronged interventions involving key stakeholders, with prison management and line Ministry as coordinators are warranted to optimise COVID-19 interventions and future disease outbreaks in the Malawian prison system

AfriMTE and AfriCOMET : Empowering COMET to Embrace Under-resourced African Languages

Despite the progress we have recorded in scaling multilingual machine translation (MT) models and evaluation data to several under-resourced African languages, it is difficult to measure accurately the progress we have made on these languages because evaluation is often performed on n-gram matching metrics like BLEU that often have worse correlation with human judgments. Embedding-based metrics such as COMET correlate better; however, lack of evaluation data with human ratings for under-resourced languages, complexity of annotation guidelines like Multidimensional Quality Metrics (MQM), and limited language coverage of multilingual encoders have hampered their applicability to African languages. In this paper, we address these challenges by creating high-quality human evaluation data with a simplified MQM guideline for error-span annotation and direct assessment (DA) scoring for 13 typologically diverse African languages. Furthermore, we develop AfriCOMET, a COMET evaluation metric for African languages by leveraging DA training data from high-resource languages and African-centric multilingual encoder (AfroXLM-Roberta) to create the state-of-the-art evaluation metric for African languages MT with respect to Spearman-rank correlation with human judgments (+0.406)

Dengue viremia in blood donors in Northern India: Challenges of emerging dengue outbreaks to blood transfusion safety

Backdround: Emerging infectious diseases pose threats to the general human population; including recipients of blood transfusions. Dengue is spreading rapidly to new areas and with increasing frequency of major outbreaks. Screening blood for dengue antigens in dengue-endemic countries would be costly and should, therefore, be recommended only after careful assessment of risk for infection and cost. Aim: A prospective study was conducted to establish the magnitude of the threat that dengue poses to blood safety where it is sporadic with seasonal variations, to quantify risk and to assess that whether screening is feasible and cost-effective. Materials and Methods: Nonstructural protein 1 (NS1) antigen test was done on 1709 donations during dengue outbreak in the months August to November 2013 as an additional test using Bio-Rad Platelia Dengue NS1AG test kit which is one step sandwich format microplate enzyme immunoassay using murine monoclonal antibodies for capture and revelation. Chi-square test was used to find statistical significance. Results and Conclusions: Majority cases were whole blood, replacement, male donors with 76.10% donors in <35 years age group. About 17.85% were single donor platelet donations. NS1 antigen in all donors was negative. In the past, dengue affected mainly children who do not donate blood. With the changing trend, mean age of infection increased affecting the population that does donate blood, further reducing blood donation pool. Further studies need to be done in different geographic regions of the country during dengue transmission season to establish maximum incidence of viremic donations, rates of transfusion transmission and clinical consequences in recipients. If risk is found to be substantial, decision will be taken by the policymakers at what threshold screening should be instituted to ensure safe blood transfusion