Assessment of voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) services in Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality

MPH, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the WitwatersrandIntroduction: VCT services are a meaningful entry point to a continuum of care, in treatment and prevention of HIV/AIDS and related illnesses. Although VCT has been available at some sites across the country even before 2000, there have been very few studies conducted to evaluate its implementation at local municipality level. This study describes the status of VCT implementation in the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality between January 2004 and March 2007. Methods: Using a questionnaire, checklist and data collection sheet, data was collected between April - May 2007 in a sample of 14 VCT sites. These were government funded sites that included three hospitals, three community health centres, three clinics, three non governmental organisations and two hospices and were selected from all three service delivery regions in Ekurhuleni. Areas assessed were demographics of facility managers, staff and training, referral system, guidelines, supervision and support and VCT registers. Results: Over ninety percent of the VCT sites had closed areas for HIV counseling and testing. Majority of the VCT service providers were lay counselors (52.9%) and others were nurses, doctors, dieticians, social workers and health promoters. Most of the counselors had received both formal and in-service training. Almost all sites (92.8%, N=13) had the relevant guidelines in place and in-service training and use of checklist were methods used to ensure adherence to guidelines. The majority of the sites (71.4%, N=10) regularly evaluated the quality of counseling offered to clients through direct observation (50.0%), exit interviews (20.0%), self evaluation (10.0%) and combination of direct observation and interviews (20.0%). Close to two thirds of the sites (64.3%, N=9) were satisfied with supervision received from the district office. All the sites used a formal letter to refer clients to other outside facilities. There was no uniformity in the data elements of VCT registers across sites and the registers had many gaps. iv Conclusions: The VCT sites in this study had the necessary set up for the implementation of basic VCT services. However, because of the small sample size, this conclusion may not be true for the whole of Ekurhuleni. There needs to be improvement in VCT record keeping and data management in the sites. Further studies are needed to evaluate factors influencing uptake of VCT services

A Multimodal Discourse Analysis of a Yoruba Song-drama

This paper presents a multimodal discourse analysis of a story that has been turned into a Yoruba song-drama, highlighting the ideational, interpersonal and textual aspects of the song-drama. The data is a short song-drama meant to teach children importunity, determination and hard work through persistence. The multimodal and narrative conventions used for analysis according to Kress and van Leeuwen (2001), show the need for cooperation and determination in a world that is characterized by individualism. The study reveals that, at the ideational level, information, anticipation, request and insistence are prominent features. At the interpersonal level, the study reveals that the song-drama is a metaphor for the possibility of a better life for the poor and needy in a society full of oppression and selfishness, while the textual level reveals the distribution of information in the different modes- song, drama, and paralinguistic expressions. The study concludes that pedagogically, storytelling, re-telling, writing and rewriting have the capacity to improve pupils’ vocabulary development. ESL teachers could creatively use video watching (which has replaced story telling), storytelling and retelling to launch the present day ESL learners into 21st century critical thinking and learning activities

TEACHERS’ PERCEPTION OF THE EFFICACY OF SOCIAL STUDIES CURRICULUM IN COMMUNAL CONFLICTS RESOLUTION FOR NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN NORTH CENTRAL NIGERIA

This study investigated teachers’ perception of the efficacy of Social Studies curriculum in communal conflicts resolution in North Central Nigeria. It was guided by six research questions and six hypotheses. Descriptive survey design was adopted for the study. The population consisted of 2391 Social Studies teachers from 6,435 public secondary schools. A total of 343 Social Studies teachers was sampled using purposive sampling technique. Communal Conflicts Resolution Questionnaire (CCRQ) with reliability coefficient of 0.98 was used for data collection. Mean and standard deviation were used for answering the research questions. Chi-square (x2) was used to test the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. Findings from the study revealed that Social Studies curriculum content is suitable for resolution of communal conflicts in North Central Nigeria (p>0.05). The objectives of Social Studies curriculum have significant influence on conflict resolution in North Central Nigeria (p>0.05), teaching methods employed by teachers during the teaching and learning process significantly influenced the implementation of Social Studies curriculum for conflict resolution in North Central Nigeria (p>0.05). It was also revealed that instructional materials have significant influenced on implementation of Social Studies curriculum for conflict resolution in North Central Nigeria (p>0.05). Instructional materials were significantly relevant in influencing the implementation of Social Studies curriculum for conflict resolution in North Central Nigeria (p>0.05). Teachers’ attitude significantly influenced the implementation of Social Studies curriculum content for conflict resolution in North Central Nigeria (p>0.05). Based on these findings it was recommended among other things that, Social Studies experts through seminars, conferences and sensitization campaign should educate the people on practical ways of communal conflicts resolution using Social Studies curriculum. Curriculum planners too need to review the Social Studies curriculum to adopt more practical approaches to resolving communal conflicts. Social Studies experts should organize seminars and conferences to educate teachers on the subject of how to actualize the objectives of Social Studies curriculum.SEL

Climate Resilient Idaho: Preventing a Health Crisis

The project aims to promote an Equitably Healthy Idaho through innovative research, engagement, and education. My work was based on finding data and information that can be used to engage Idahoans in climate impacts conversation and action. While recognizing that climate change exists, people tend to change their behavior and address an issue when they see how it impacts them personally. Therefore, it is essential to provide accessible and engaging information to the public about climate change’s impacts to effect change and promote climate resilient communities. I collected, processed, and developed Idaho-specific data and information that promotes a climate resilient Idaho. The outcomes of my research will enable Idahoans to better understand the facts that relate to Idaho’s environment and economy. It is crucial to facilitate effective information sharing and engaged learning to move toward a climate resilient Idaho

Prevalence of eggs of liver fluke (Opisthorchis viverrini) and other helminth in Lahanam, Savannakhet, Lao P.D.R

　This study was conducted in Lahanam zone of Songkhone district of Savannakhet province, Lao P.D.R. There are six villages in Lahanam zone, and there are five primary schools in the area. Stool examination and treatment were performed for all school children (total number = 670 children) from grade 1 to grade 5, registered at Lahanam in September 2004. Liver fluke, Opisthorchis viverrini (Ov) was the most common intestinal parasite with prevalence of 49 % , followed by hookworm with 32 % . Ov egg-positives were treated by praziquantel at schools (selective mass-chemotherapy) and all the children were treated for hookworm by albendazol (mass-chemotherapy).　In September 2005, after one year of treatment, stool examination was repeated for the same children in schools. Due to the move to the new academic year, school children of the previous grade 5 had already graduated and we did not include them. Prevalence of Ov and hookworm after one year of treatment were 29% and 12% , respectively.　Children attending Bengkhamlay primary school located about 5 km from Banghiang River had lower prevalence for Ov. And higher prevalence of hookworm than other schools located within 2 km from the river (p<0.001).　In December 2005, community stool examination was carried out in Bengkhamlay The subjects were all the villagers in Bengkhamlay age 5 years old and over. The prevalence of Ov in those over 15 years old (284 people) was 66.2% and the age group showing the highest prevalence (77.5% ) was 30‒39 years old. Prevalence of hookworm was 31.3 % in those over 15 years old. Intensity of Ov. Infection was low to moderate with increasing tendency by age up to middle age, and become low after 60 years old

Calvinism and the socioeconomic politics of Botswana's liberal democracy

Peer reviewedBotswana has undergone tremendous socioeconomic and political transformation and, as a result, the country can be said to be a success story and a true model of a liberal democracy on the African continent. Given this remarkable success, it is worth exploring how religion/theology has contributed, in Botswana, to the creation of a liberal democracy. In this article, I shall attempt to show how Christian morality, and the political ethics of Calvinism in particular, support the socioeconomic and political principles of liberal democracies. I shall also attempt to show how Calvinism may have directly or indirectly impacted on Botswana’s political configuration.Research Institute for Theology and Religio