Can extended curriculum programmes be improved through engagement with students using appreciative inquiry?

This research involves eight students at the university under study [1] who identify with the BSc Extended Programmes. The study reports on the use of Appreciative Inquiry to determine how these students describe the best aspects of the programmes and the attributes that they developed to overcome the stigma and isolation associated with the programmes. The aim was to extrapolate the findings to develop an improvement plan informed by students’ perspectives. The narratives from semi‑structured interviews conducted during the Discovery and Dream stages of the modified Appreciative Inquiry 4‑D process are reported. Six views emerged: sense of family and belonging; peer mentoring and support networks; coping with failure and self-efficacy; the underdog phenomenon, self‑motivation and support for mainstream students; the student advising model; and extended curricular programmes as a first option. The attributes that students acquired to overcome stigmatisation and isolation are discussed. Further investigation of the six themes in the Design and Destiny phases is proposed to provide ideas that can engender resilience in more students

GeoGebra for learning and teaching: A parallel investigation

In the study reported on here, we investigated the effects of the use of dynamic geometry software (DGS) (i.e., GeoGebra) on learners’ learning and a teacher’s beliefs. The learners and teacher involved in the study were from a high-poverty, rural high school in South Africa. We compared grade 11 learners (N = 56) who used GeoGebra in the context of learning circle geometry with learners who experienced geometry through traditional lecture-based instruction. Participating learners were from classes in a public school located in the rural Umkhanyakude district of KwaZulu-Natal, Republic of South Africa. Results showed that learners using GeoGebra were more successful at solving problems and justifying their statements, while the other learners provided a limited justification for their answers. In a parallel and complementary investigation the teacher’s attitudes toward using GeoGebra as an instructional tool were considered qualitatively. Results showed that even in high-poverty, rural settings where the availability of technological resources are limited, the use of GeoGebra affected learners’ learning and had positive effects on the teacher’s beliefs regarding teaching and learning. Keywords: Euclidean geometry; GeoGebra; performance; theorems and proof

Adverse drug reactions reporting at a referral hospital in Zimbabwe

To establish factors influencing voluntary reporting of adverse drug reactions among health workers. A second objective was to establish the level of awareness on adverse drug reaction reporting and attitudes towards the voluntary adverse drug reaction reporting scheme. Design: Cross sectional descriptive study. Setting: Parirenyatwa Hospital, a major referral and teaching hospital in Harare, Zimbabwe. Subjects: 200 health professionals randomly selected from various departments. Main Outcome Measures: Number of health workers reporting adverse drug reactions; awareness of the adverse drug reaction reporting scheme

Use of cotrimoxazole prophylaxis in HIV infected in patients at a referral hospital

A journal article on the administering of cotrimoxazole in HIV infected patients in Zimbabwe.The sub-Saharan region is the most affected by the HIV/AIDS pandemic with an average of 8% of the population being infected. Opportunistic infections have a major impact on the health and survival of HIV infected patients. The advent of highly active antiretroviral therapy has, however, significantly reduced the prevalence of opportunistic infections in HIV infected patients. Primary prophylaxis of opportunistic infections continues to be one of the most important strategies in the management of patients infected with HIV. In addition, primary prophylaxis against opportunistic infections including Pneumocystis carinni pneumonia (PCP) has already been shown to have an independent role in prolonging survival.Pneumocystis carinii remains an important pathogen for the broad spectrum of immunocompromised individuals, despite significant advances in antimicrobial therapy. Cotrimoxazole is recommended as the drug of choice for the prevention and treatment of PCP

The prevalence of HIV associated oral lesions among adults in the era of HAART

INTRODUCTION: The overall prevalence of HIV associated oral lesions among adults has decreased since the advent of highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART). AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: This study describes the prevalence and types of oral mucosal lesions in adults, who accepted a dedicated oral and dental programme for HIV-infected patients. The incidence of oral lesions and the CD4 cell counts on those patients, were related to cases receiving HAART and to those who were not. DESIGN: This was a retrospective, descriptive cross-sectional study. METHODS: Patients were interviewed, using a structured questionnaire to obtain information regarding medical history, current medications and demographic details. Data relating to CD4 cell counts were extracted from clinical medical records of the patient. In each case, the oral cavity of the sitting patient was examined under artificial light, by a clinician using a mouth mirror. Oral lesions were categorised in accordance with EC-Clearinghouse diagnostic criteria. RESULTS: The prevalence of HIV-associated oral lesions was significantly reduced (p <0.001) in patients receiving HAART. There was, however, no significant difference (p = 0.29) in mean CD4 counts between patients receiving HAART and those not receiving HAART. The presence of oral lesions was statistically significantly, associated with both CD4 counts of <200 cells/mm3 (p<0.001) and the absence of HAART (p = 0.033). CONCLUSIONS: The study confirmed that the incidence of oral lesions and of pseudo-membranous candidiasis in particular, were statistically significantly reduced in patients receiving HAART.http://www.sada.co.zaam2013ay201

Hepatitis B vaccination induces mucosal antibody responses in the female genital tract, indicating potential mechanisms of protection against infection

Vaccines against hepatitis B virus confer effective protection. ELISA was developed to test for specific antibodies in female genital tract secretions. Anti-HBs IgG and IgA were detected in the cervico-vaginal secretions of women following Hepatitis B vaccination, indicating a potential genital tract role for neutralising antibodies against sexually transmitted HBV

Tracking health system performance in times of crisis using routine health data: lessons learned from a multicountry consortium

COVID-19 has prompted the use of readily available administrative data to track health system performance in times of crisis and to monitor disruptions in essential healthcare services. In this commentary we describe our experience working with these data and lessons learned across countries. Since April 2020, the Quality Evidence for Health System Transformation (QuEST) network has used administrative data and routine health information systems (RHIS) to assess health system performance during COVID-19 in Chile, Ethiopia, Ghana, Haiti, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Mexico, Nepal, South Africa, Republic of Korea and Thailand. We compiled a large set of indicators related to common health conditions for the purpose of multicountry comparisons. The study compiled 73 indicators. A total of 43% of the indicators compiled pertained to reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health (RMNCH). Only 12% of the indicators were related to hypertension, diabetes or cancer care. We also found few indicators related to mental health services and outcomes within these data systems. Moreover, 72% of the indicators compiled were related to volume of services delivered, 18% to health outcomes and only 10% to the quality of processes of care. While several datasets were complete or near-complete censuses of all health facilities in the country, others excluded some facility types or population groups. In some countries, RHIS did not capture services delivered through non-visit or nonconventional care during COVID-19, such as telemedicine. We propose the following recommendations to improve the analysis of administrative and RHIS data to track health system performance in times of crisis: ensure the scope of health conditions covered is aligned with the burden of disease, increase the number of indicators related to quality of care and health outcomes; incorporate data on nonconventional care such as telehealth; continue improving data quality and expand reporting from private sector facilities; move towards collecting patient-level data through electronic health records to facilitate quality-of-care assessment and equity analyses; implement more resilient and standardized health information technologies; reduce delays and loosen restrictions for researchers to access the data; complement routine data with patient-reported data; and employ mixed methods to better understand the underlying causes of service disruptions

El Conocimiento Didáctico del Contenido en ciencias: estado de la cuestión

This paper gives a descriptive overview of the literature related to Pedagogical Content Knowledge - PCK - in the sciences. It is expected that this review can contribute to a better understanding of PCK, pointing out what has been investigated about this concept. Specifically, we analyze: a) how PCK is defined, what are its main features and how it has been appropriated by teachers; b) the relationship between PCK, knowledge of the contents to be taught and students learning; c) how PCK was actually used in teachers' training and teachers' evaluation; and, d) the scientific areas in which PCK has been studied. It concludes that PCK is an essential tool for improving the quality of teacher training

Rethinking Social Justice in Education: An Epistemological Approach

There are many different notions of social justice in education. For example, some argue that social justice in education means giving individuals the opportunity to succeed; for others, it means seeking equality of outcome so that everyone does succeed. So great is the diversity of views that it has been suggested the term has become meaningless, or that it can mean anything people want it to mean. This has led some to argue that trying to define social justice in education is a hopeless task. This chapter argues that an approach informed by the later philosophy of Wittgenstein can be helpful in dealing with such issues. In particular, attention is focussed on Wittgenstein’s epistemology and theory of meaning in the Philosophical Investigations. It is argued that these are helpful in understanding the multiplicity of meanings of the term social justice in education. This multiplicity however, it is argued, does not lead to a situation where the term can mean anything its users want it to mean. Nor does it lead to a situation where all attempts to define the term are ruled out, or where only one definition is acceptable, presumably to be imposed on all users of the term. Instead, the significance of contextual understanding and meaning in different language-games is highlighted. Wittgenstein’s theory of meaning is then allied to Gallie’s notion of an essentially contested concept to advance the idea of engagement between those with different views, and of the need to recontextualize rather than decontextualize the notion of social justice in education

If not now, when? Time for the European Union to define a global health strategy

Speakman, E. M., McKee, M., & Coker, R. (2017). If not now, when? Time for the European Union to define a global health strategy. Lancet Global Health, 5(4), e392-e393. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2214-109X%2817%2930085-