Aquaponics production simulations using the decision-making tool

Aquaponics have related food and nutrition security benefit that are important for this country (South Africa). The aim of this study was to apply  aquaponics decision-making tool to provide potential aquaponics production data and information for South Africa. This study was designed as  2×3×3 factorial study giving 18 interactions. Because aquaponics are the production of fish and crops concurrently, yield production had two levels-  fish and crop, fish stocking density had three levels- low, optimum and higher and aquaponics scale of production had 3 levels- hobby, subsistence  and commercial scale. The summary of data of aquaponics variables from the literature was used as optimum level, lower and higher levels were  based on experimental design. Yield production (kg) of both fish and plants increased significantly (p<0.05) as fish stocking density was increased. In  hobby scale, plants yield was higher than fish yield in all levels of fish stocking density, the plant-fish yield (kg) was 40-33, 80-67 and 150-133,  respectively. In subsistence scale, fish-plant yield (kg) was 240-200, 300-267 and 400-333, respectively. In commercial scale, fish-plant yield (kg) was  600-533, 1 100-1 000, 1 500-1 333, respectively. Daily fish feed increased significantly with increase in fish stocking density across all scale of  aquaponics production (hobby<subsistence<commercial). In hobby scale, at low fish stocking, 0.65kg feed produced 1 kg fish, at optimum, 0.65kg  feed produced 1 kg fish and at higher fish stocking, 0.37kg feed produced 1 kg fish. In subsistence scale at low fish stocking density, 0.38kg feed  produced 1 kg fish, at optimum level, 0.63kg feed produced 1 kg fish and at higher level, 0.65kg feed produced 1 kg fish. In commercial scale, in low  fish stocking, 0.64kg feed produced 1 kg fish, at optimum, 0.63kg feed produced 1 kg fish and at higher fish stocking, 0.64kg feed produced 1 kg  fish. Plant culture have more yield output than fish culture in all aquaponics scale of production. Hobby scale produced the lowest yield than  subsistence than commercial scale of production. Hobby scale practise could not produce sufficient yield to support human subsistence. Fish feed  closely mirrored yield production. Lower fish stocking density maybe adopted in subsistence scale. Higher fish stocking density maybe adopted in  commercial scale. Fish feed could become an economic sustainability constraint in aquaponics production, particularly in a developing country like South Africa. Water availability and quality effects on yield was not determine especially in African context

Revitalising the “good” in good local governance : calling for active participatory citizenship

Good governance is a principle and a practice much sought after in the contemporary world, but most countries, including South Africa, struggle to meet the ideals of (the) “good” in “good governance”, despite the fact that the relevant principles have been institutionalised in policy frameworks, and despite the scrutiny of “compliance watchdogs” to safeguard compliance. This article explores the roles that active citizenship and citizen participation should play in holding the State accountable and in instilling a “culture of good governance” in the sphere of local government. Government processes created to ensure good local governance should allow citizen participation spaces through which citizens can experience a sense that they can influence, direct, control and own their own development. Active citizenship, citizen participation and protest action are fundamental instruments to hold local government accountable and to ensure good governance in order to enable social transformation. The article is based on a literature survey, previous research and participatory observation by both authors, as well as the outcomes of participatory workshops with municipal officials during the facilitation of programmes on citizen participation and good governance. Good governance as a concept and universal norm is unpacked, and active citizen participation as a key governance tool is explored. The article makes recommendations on improving good local governance through active citizenship

Women’s experiences on the use of Implanon as a contraceptive method in a selected primary healthcare facility in KwaZulu-Natal

Background: The South African department of health recently introduced subdermal Implanon contraceptive implant with the aim to reduce teenage pregnancy and maternal mortality. First used in all public healthcare facilities across the country since early 2014, this method of contraception has been described as highly effective. However, some women have reported unbearable side effects, forcing them to remove the contraceptive implant early before its expiry date. Negligible emphasis has been placed on staff training and development to equip the nurses with new protocol and policies on Implanon. Objectives: The objective of this study was to explore experiences of women using Implanon as method of contraception at a selected primary healthcare facility in KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. Methods: A qualitative, descriptive and exploratory study design was used. A purposive sampling technique was used and a sample of seven women aged between 15 and 50 years was selected for this study. Semi-structured interviews were used in the data collection process. The Tesch’s method for data coding and data analysis was utilised. Necessary ethical measures were taken to ensure that the study is trustworthy. The study was conducted at Community Health Centre, KwaZulu-Natal between June 2017 and December 2018. Results: The findings showed that some participants were still willing to continue using this method of contraception regardless of the unwanted side effects. Major side effects reported were heavy menstrual bleeding, pain and discomfort, weight loss, insomnia and decreased sexual interest, which resulted in most participants stopping the use of Implanon. Conclusion: Most of the participants’ experience unwanted side effects because of poor screening, counselling and support. There is a clear demand to develop a screening tool and facilitate training of healthcare workers when initiating the use of Implanon. Keywords: Implanon; Implanon users; experiences; perceptions; primary healthcar

Using joint models to study the association between CD4 count and the risk of death in TB/HIV data

BACKGROUND: The association structure linking the longitudinal and survival sub-models is of fundamental importance in the joint modeling framework and the choice of this structure should be made based on the clinical background of the study. However, this information may not always be accessible and rationale for selecting this association structure has received relatively little attention in the literature. To this end, we aim to explore four alternative functional forms of the association structure between the CD4 count and the risk of death and provide rationale for selecting the optimal association structure for our data. We also aim to compare the results obtained from the joint model to those obtained from the time-varying Cox model. METHODS: We used data from the Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA) AIDS Treatment programme, the Starting Antiretroviral Therapy at Three Points in Tuberculosis (SAPiT) study, an open-label, three armed randomised, controlled trial between June 2005 and July 2010 (N=642). In our analysis, we combined the early and late integrated arms and compared results to the sequential arm. We utilized the Deviance Information Criterion (DIC) to select the final model with the best structure, with smaller values indicating better model adjustments to the data. RESULTS: Patient characteristics were similar across the study arms. Combined integrated therapy arms had a reduction of 55% in mortality (HR:0.45, 95% CI:0.28-0.72) compared to the sequential therapy arm. The joint model with a cumulative effects functional form was chosen as the best association structure. In particular, our joint model found that the area under the longitudinal profile of CD4 count was strongly associated with a 21% reduction in mortality (HR:0.79, 95% CI:0.72-0.86). Where as results from the time-varying Cox model showed a 19% reduction in mortality (HR:0.81, 95% CI:0.77-0.84). CONCLUSIONS: In this paper we have shown that the “current value” association structure is not always the best structure that expresses the correct relationship between the outcomes in all settings, which is why it is crucial to explore alternative clinically meaningful association structures that links the longitudinal and survival processes

Predictors of tuberculosis (TB) and antiretroviral (ARV) medication non-adherence in public primary care patients in South Africa: A cross sectional study

Background: Despite the downward trend in the absolute number of tuberculosis (TB) cases since 2006 and the fall in the incidence rates since 2001, the burden of disease caused by TB remains a global health challenge. The co-infection between TB and HIV adds to this disease burden. TB is completely curable through the intake of a strict anti-TB drug treatment regimen which requires an extremely high and consistent level of adherence.The aim of this study was to investigate factors associated with adherence to anti-TB and HIV treatment drugs. Methods: A cross-sectional survey method was used. Three study districts (14 primary health care facilities in each) were selected on the basis of the highest TB caseload per clinic. All new TB and new TB retreatment patients were consecutively screened within one month of anti-tuberculosis treatment. The sample comprised of 3107 TB patients who had been on treatment for at least three weeks and a sub-sample of the total sample were on both anti-TB treatment and anti-retro-viral therapy(ART) (N = 757). Data collection tools included: a Socio-Demographic Questionnaire; a Post-Traumatic-Stress-Disorder (PTSD) Screen; a Psychological Distress Scale; the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT); and self-report measures of tobacco use, perceived health status and adherence to anti-TB drugs and ART. Results: The majority of the participants (N = 3107) were new TB cases with a 55.9% HIV co-infection rate in this adult male and female sample 18 years and older. Significant predictors of non-adherence common to both anti-TB drugs and to dual therapy (ART and anti-TB drugs) included poverty, having one or more co-morbid health condition, being a high risk for alcohol mis-use and a partner who is HIV positive. An additional predictor for non-adherence to anti-TB drugs was tobacco use. Conclusions: A comprehensive treatment programme addressing poverty, alcohol mis-use, tobacco use and psycho-social counseling is indicated for TB patients (with and without HIV). The treatment care package needs to involve not only the health sector but other relevant government sectors, such as social development.IS

Teenage pregnancy rates and associations with other health risk behaviours: a threewave cross-sectional study among South African school-going adolescents

BACKGROUND: Teenage pregnancy still remains high in low and middle-income countries (LMIC), as well as in highincome countries (HIC). It is a major contributor to maternal and child morbidity and mortality rates. Furthermore, it has social consequences, such as perpetuating the cycle of poverty including early school dropout by the pregnant adolescent, especially in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Few studies in SSA have investigated the trends in teenage pregnancy and the associated factors, while this is critical in fully understanding teenage pregnancy and for promotion of reproductive health among adolescents at large in SSA. METHODS: To examine the trends in teenage pregnancy and to identify associations with other health risk behaviours in South Africa (SA), a total of 31 816 South African school-going adolescents between 11 to 19 years of age were interviewed in three cross-sectional surveys. Data from the first (2002, n = 10 549), second (2008, n = 10 270) and the third (2011, n = 10 997) nationally representative South African youth risk behaviour surveys (YRBS) were used for this study. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of having ever been pregnant among the combined 3-survey sample was selfreported to be 11.0 % and stable across the three surveys. Sexual intercourse among adolescents in SA has decreased from 41.9 % in 2002 to 36.9 % in 2011. However, pregnancy among girls who ever had sex increased from 17.3 % (95 % CI: 0.16–0.19) in 2002, to 23.6 % (95 % CI: 0.21–0.26) in 2008 and decreased to 21.3 % (95 % CI: 0.19–0.23) in 2011. The odds for ever been pregnant were higher for girls who had 2 or more sexual partners (OR: 1.250, 95 % CI: 1.039–1.503), girls who ever used alcohol before sex (OR: 1.373, 95 % CI: 1.004–1.878), practised binge-drinking during the last month (OR: 0.624, 95 % CI: 0.503–0.774), and girls who used mandrax (OR: 1.968, 95 % CI: 1,243–3.117). The odds for never been pregnant were lower for those who used condoms (OR: 0.462, 95 % CI: 0.309–0.691). CONCLUSIONS: Girls continue to become pregnant at unacceptably high rates in SA. Sexual intercourse among adolescents in SA has decreased slightly. However, among those who are sexually active pregnancy prevalence rates have increased. More over, this is in the context of high prevalence of HIV and other STI. There is a need to address adolescents’ sexual and reproductive health, and several health risk behaviours, including substance use, that are associated with teenage pregnancy in SA.IS

Aquaponics model specific to South African conditions

Aquaponics is the integration of aquaculture (fish) and hydroponic culture (plants) as one system. Aquaponics requires a sound simultaneous understanding of two agricultural ecosystems (fish and plants) in order to have a viable system. Modelling and model development is sacrosanct in systems where productivity is uncertain or complex. The study was conducted in 2016 to collect aquaponics information in the Republic of South Africa (RSA) using an online survey questionnaire to determine local aquaponics uses, management and distribution. A total of 44 aquaponics operators were captured within three months (September-November) in 2016. In this study, it was shown and concluded that most aquaponics practitioners in RSA do not have adequate knowledge and skills in aquaponics production and management, and that development of the localised aquaponics model is important for South Africa. As a result, the aim of this study was to develop a model that is more specific to South African conditions in order to help South Africans to have a better opportunity to establish and operate aquaponic systems. This study was designed as a mixed approach combining different methods and sources of data to develop the model. Unified Modelling Language (UML), Microsoft excel, an online survey, observations, structured and unstructured interviews and content data were used. The developed model was able to predict the main aquaponics inputs variables, namely fish stocking density, daily fish feed, and required planting area. The fit for each of these variables was good to average with R=0.7477, 0.6957, and 0.4313 respectively. There were no significant differences (P<0.05) between the observed and simulated data for all variables (fish stocking density, daily fish and planting area variables). Therefore, it was concluded that this model can be adopted by aquaponics practitioners in RSA and extension officers or facilitators as an aquaponics start-up platform.Keywords: Fish stocking density, daily fish feed, plant growing area, aquaponics mode