Youth understanding of sexuality and sexual relationships in Dududu, southern KwaZulu Natal.

Thesis (M.Dev.Studies)-University of Natal, Durban, 2004.This research study aimed at investigating the understanding the rural youth have about sexuality and sexual relationships. The study begins with the literature review related to youth sexuality and sexual relationships. The main focus of the research was to gather information regarding the understanding the youth have on sexuality and sexual relationships, their sources of information, and level of comfort with the topic. An exploratory research design guided the study. A systematic random sampling procedure was used to identify twenty youth from grade ten at Zithokozise high school in the Dududu area. Three focus group discussions were conducted with the group followed by a questionnaire, which was administered to individual participants in a group setting. Qualitative and quantitative methods were used to in analysing the results from which conclusions were drawn. The findings of the study revealed that rural youth were not well informed on their sexuality and had misconceptions about sexual relationships. The youth that were sexually active were mostly not using safe sex methods. The popular informants of youth on sexuality issues were their own peers who also had inadequate information on the issues. The role of parents and educators in providing information to the youth was minimal and inadequate. Health facilities were not always available and if available were not adequately utilized. Resulting from the findings of the study a youth sexuality manual for rural schools was designed. The facilitators from the Departments of Community Health and Social Work from the University of Natal piloted the manual in the same schools that were involved in the community development projects

The evolving SARS-CoV-2 epidemic in Africa: Insights from rapidly expanding genomic surveillance

INTRODUCTION Investment in Africa over the past year with regard to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) sequencing has led to a massive increase in the number of sequences, which, to date, exceeds 100,000 sequences generated to track the pandemic on the continent. These sequences have profoundly affected how public health officials in Africa have navigated the COVID-19 pandemic. RATIONALE We demonstrate how the first 100,000 SARS-CoV-2 sequences from Africa have helped monitor the epidemic on the continent, how genomic surveillance expanded over the course of the pandemic, and how we adapted our sequencing methods to deal with an evolving virus. Finally, we also examine how viral lineages have spread across the continent in a phylogeographic framework to gain insights into the underlying temporal and spatial transmission dynamics for several variants of concern (VOCs). RESULTS Our results indicate that the number of countries in Africa that can sequence the virus within their own borders is growing and that this is coupled with a shorter turnaround time from the time of sampling to sequence submission. Ongoing evolution necessitated the continual updating of primer sets, and, as a result, eight primer sets were designed in tandem with viral evolution and used to ensure effective sequencing of the virus. The pandemic unfolded through multiple waves of infection that were each driven by distinct genetic lineages, with B.1-like ancestral strains associated with the first pandemic wave of infections in 2020. Successive waves on the continent were fueled by different VOCs, with Alpha and Beta cocirculating in distinct spatial patterns during the second wave and Delta and Omicron affecting the whole continent during the third and fourth waves, respectively. Phylogeographic reconstruction points toward distinct differences in viral importation and exportation patterns associated with the Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Omicron variants and subvariants, when considering both Africa versus the rest of the world and viral dissemination within the continent. Our epidemiological and phylogenetic inferences therefore underscore the heterogeneous nature of the pandemic on the continent and highlight key insights and challenges, for instance, recognizing the limitations of low testing proportions. We also highlight the early warning capacity that genomic surveillance in Africa has had for the rest of the world with the detection of new lineages and variants, the most recent being the characterization of various Omicron subvariants. CONCLUSION Sustained investment for diagnostics and genomic surveillance in Africa is needed as the virus continues to evolve. This is important not only to help combat SARS-CoV-2 on the continent but also because it can be used as a platform to help address the many emerging and reemerging infectious disease threats in Africa. In particular, capacity building for local sequencing within countries or within the continent should be prioritized because this is generally associated with shorter turnaround times, providing the most benefit to local public health authorities tasked with pandemic response and mitigation and allowing for the fastest reaction to localized outbreaks. These investments are crucial for pandemic preparedness and response and will serve the health of the continent well into the 21st century