Comments on the XIV International HIV/AIDS Conference : an 'Ubuntu' perspective

The statistical reports as shown by the Joint United Nations programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) indicate that despite efforts to combat the epidemic, the number of new infections continues to rise daily. This paper reflects on resolutions taken during the XIV International HlV/AlDS Conference in an attempt to link them with the role that the African continent may play in the fight against HIV/AIDS, The principles of'ubuntu', such as sharing of opportunities, responsibilities and challenges, participatory decision making and leadership, and reconciliation as a goal of conflict management, are used as the point of departure in assessing a range of key issues debated in the Conference.This article was written by Fhumulani Mavis Mulaudzi before she joined the University of Pretoria.http://www.brill.nl/m_catalogue.asp?sub=3hb201

Indigenous health beliefs, attitudes and practices among VhaVenda : a challenge to the promotion of HIV/AIDS prevention strategies

Currently, the syndromic management of HIV/AIDS is based on a biomedical model that focuses on the ABC (Abstain, Be faithful, Condomise) model. The ABC model overlooks the issue of indigenous cultural practices, sexual behaviours, knowledge and attitudes of the society. A grounded theory study was used for the research. The population for the research on which this article is reporting, was selected from the Vhavenda ethnic group using purposive sampling. In-depth interviews were held at the participants’ own homes. The outcome of the study on which this article is reporting, may assist in identifying indigenous health beliefs, attitudes and practices that will assist in curbing the spread of HIV/AIDS. The findings revealed that cultural practices, such as premarital counselling, polygamy and widow inheritance, are believed to be influential in making women more susceptible to sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV/AIDS. The practice of abstinence, as emphasised at initiation schools, should be incorporated into current policies and preventative practices. The findings further demonstrate that policy-makers who formulated the HIV/AIDS strategy have limited knowledge of the health beliefs, attitudes and practices of the people they serve. They thus find it difficult to draw up promotion and prevention strategies that meet the needs of the community. It is therefore imperative that our health-care training curriculum be reviewed to make provision for the incorporation of sound and effective indigenous practices to reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS and to eliminate or refine practices that are harmful and detrimental to people’s health. The cultural practices that were proved reliable and effective will be recommended for integration into health education.This article was written by FM Mulaudzi before she joined the University of Pretoria.http://www.curationis.org.zahb201

The cultural beliefs of the Vhavenda on the causes and transmission of sexually transmitted infections

Cultural and ethnic identity and folk beliefs play a decisive role in perceptions, attitudes and practices regarding health care and illness. Such beliefs and practices of a community may have an influence on the causes and transmission of diseases, including sexually transmitted diseases. The purpose of the study on which this article is based, was to describe cultural beliefs of the Vhavenda on the causes and transmission of sexually transmitted infections. A qualitative research approach using grounded theory was used. In-depth interviews were held with thirteen keyinformants in the community and seven traditional healers. Snowball and theoretical sampling were used to identify the participants. The results showed that the concept “dirt” (uncleanliness) is viewed by the Vhavenda as the main cause of sexually transmitted infections (STIs). The understanding of “dirt” is placed in the context of uncleanliness in the form of vaginal discharges such as menstruation, post-abortion discharges and lochia (post-partum discharges). Women are viewed as carriers of STIs. Knowledge of cultural beliefs of the Vhavenda on the causes and transmission of STIs can serve as a point of departure in providing health education about sexually transmitted infections. The initiative may assist to facilitate change in clients’ health behaviour and enabling health practitioners to render culturally congruent care.This article was written by Fhumulani Mavis Mulaudzi before she joined the University of Pretoria.http://www.hsag.co.zahb201

Reproductive health rights of women in rural communities

Reproductive health is very important as it shapes a woman's whole life. Currently there are a lot of obstacles which deny women their rights to reproductive health. The aim of this research was to find out what obstacles deny women the freedom to enjoy their reproductive health in order to establish a contribution which can be used by the Department of Health to improve their services. Descriptive research was conducted, using a survey approach. Convenience sampling was utilized. Participants were selected from a sample of people attending the reproductive health clinic at a hospital and a clinic in the Northern Province. The findings indicate that women are not enjoying reproductive health rights due to low educational level, cultural and societal constraints, low socio economic status and the negative attitude of the providers, of reproductive health services.ContraceptivesFamily planningHealth and genderHealth rightsReproductive choiceReproductive healthReproductive rightsReproductive health careWomen's rightsRural womenHealth ScienceM.A.Cur.(Nursing Science

Factors that motivate nurses to provide quality patient care in a rural hospital in Vhembe district, Limpopo Province, South Africa

Health services in rural areas are known to be under-resourced in several ways and working conditions are often described as unfavourable. Nurses working under such conditions are likely to be demotivated; however, it seems that not all nurses feel demotivated because of the number of nurses who remain and serve in those areas. This article describes factors that motivate nurses to render quality patient care in a rural hospital in Vhembe district of Limpopo Province in South Africa. A qualitative, exploratory, descriptive research design guided by an Appreciative Inquiry approach was used. Individual semi-structured interviews with 20 participants were conducted and analysis was conducted according to Tesch’s open-coding technique. The results indicated both intrinsic and extrinsic factors as motivators, which relate to the events in participants’ personal and social life as well as those in the work environment. Passion for the job was identified as the key driver from the intrinsic space while open communication from the employer was raised by the majority of participants as an external driver. This study revealed that although nurses in a rural hospital have challenges that can negatively impact on their motivational levels, their internal drive to care overcomes any negative factors.Department of HE and Training approved lis

The experiences of Batswana families regarding hospice care of AIDS patients in the Bophirima district, North West province, South Africa

The HIV/AIDS pandemic put significant strain on healthcare services in the country. Hospitals were no longer coping with the escalating number of AIDS patients. This resulted in the early discharge of patients, with some patients, too ill to be nursed at home, being sent to hospices for continued care. The Batswana had mixed feelings about hospice care, because their beliefs on patient care are based on the ubuntu philosophy, which emphasises the principle of caring for one another. The purpose of this study was to explore and describe the experiences of Batswana families regarding hospice care for patients in the Thlabane township in the province of the North West as well as to make recommendations to policy-makers to ensure that hospices are accepted by community members and utilised effectively. A qualitative, explorative, descriptive research design was applied. Purposive sampling was applied to select study participants with whom in-depth unstructured interviews were conducted. A qualitative data analysis was done by categorising, ordering, and summarising the data, and describing the findings. The findings indicated that families of patients in hospice care experienced such care as foreign to their culture. These families also experienced stigmatisation, firstly owing to the stigma associated with AIDS and secondly because they opted for hospice care. However, they also observed the high quality of care provided by the hospice and understood its benefits for AIDS patients. The study concluded that hospice care relieved families of terminally ill AIDS patients of the burden of care and enabled them to keep on working and earning a living. Recommendations to policy-makers included enhancing hospice care and ensuring the provisioning of culturally safe hospice care.La pande´mie du VIH/SIDA a mis une forte pression sur les services de soins de sante´ du pays. Les hoˆpitaux ne pouvaient plus faire face au nombre croissant de patients atteints du SIDA. Il en a re´sulte´ la sortie pre´coce des malades du SIDA, avec certains patients trop malades pour eˆtre soigne´s chez eux, envoye´s aux hospices pour des soins continus. Les batswana avaient des sentiments mitige´s au sujet des soins palliatifs, parce que leurs croyances sur les soins me´dicaux sont base´es sur la philosophie ubuntu, qui met l’accent sur le principe de prendre soin de l’un de l’autre. Le but de l’e´tude e´tait d’explorer les expe´riences et de de´crire les expe´riences des familles de Batswana en ce qui concerne les soins palliatifs pour les patients habitant le canton de Thlabane dans la province du Nord-Ouest, mais aussi de faire des recommandations aux de´cideurs politiques pour s’assurer que les hospices sont assure´s par les membres de la communaute´ et utilise´s efficacement. Une conception de recherche qualitative, exploratoire, descriptive a e´te´ applique´e. Une me´thode d’e´chantillonnage raisonne´e a e´te´ applique´e pour se´lectionner les participants de l’e´tude avec lesquels des entretiens approfondis non structure´es ont e´te´ mene´es. Une analyse qualitative des donne´es a e´te´ faite par la cate´gorisation, la commande et le re´sume´ des donne´es et la description des re´sultats. Les re´sultats de recherche indiquaient que les familles des patients en soins palliatifs prenaient de tels soins comme e´tranger a` leur culture. Ces familles ont e´galement connu la stigmatisation associe´ au SIDA et en second lieu parce qu’ils ont opte´ pour les soins palliatifs. Cependant, ils ont observe´ la haute qualite´ des soins dispense´s par le centre de soins palliatifs et compris ses avantages pour les malades atteints du SIDA. L’e´tude conclut que les soins palliatifs soulageaient les familles des side´ens en phase terminale de la charge des soins et leur a permis de continuer a` travailler et gagner leur vie. Les recommandations a` l’intention des de´cideurs politiques incluait l’ame´lioration des soins palliatifs et d’assurer l’approvisionnement des centres de soins palliatifs culturellement se´curitaire.http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/rsah2

Perceived Motivating Factors towards a Positive Working Environment in Rural Hospital at Vhembe District in the Limpopo Province

One of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) is to improve maternal health with the target of reducing maternal mortality by three-quarters between 1990–2015. The rendering of quality patient care requires the whole healthcare system to be functional with well-trained, motivated staff, adequate services, equipment and skilled competent leadership. However, work environment in rural hospitals is poorly resourced, thus leading to many nurses becoming de-motivated. This paper describes the factors that the nurses would like to see in their working environment which could improve quality patient care in rural hospitals. An appreciative inquiry qualitative, exploratory, descriptive research design was used. Data were collected through focus group interviews whereby thirty six participants were interviewed. The researcher used the open coding technique to analyse data. The findings revealed that nurses are motivated by both extrinsic and intrinsic factors in their working environment.Department of HE and Training approved lis

Indigenous neonatal feeding and bathing practices of caregivers in Vhembe district, Limpopo Province

BACKGROUND : Caregivers are offered health information on neonatal care before they are discharged from the healthcare facilities after giving birth. However, they continue to feed and bath neonates in ways that are informed by indigenous traditions. Notably, these ways include the provision of supplementary feeds before 6 months and bathing the neonate as early as possible, which are practices that contradict the World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations of neonatal care. OBJECTIVES : This study aimed to explore and describe the indigenous neonatal feeding and bathing practices of caregivers in Vhembe District, Limpopo province. SETTING : This study was conducted in Limpopo province at Vhembe District, Makhado Municipality. METHODOLOGY : A qualitative, explorative and descriptive enquiry was used to conduct 18 semi-structured individual interviews to explore and describe their indigenous neonatal feeding and bathing practices. Purposive and snowball sampling methods were used to select participants. Creswell’s method of data analysis was used to analyse data. Ethical principles were maintained. RESULTS : Two themes with sub-themes resulted from data analysis presenting indigenous neonatal feeding practices and indigenous neonatal bathing practices. CONCLUSION : This study revealed that caregivers use indigenous neonatal feeding and bathing practices across age groups and social standing. Younger mothers receive guidance from older women in their families or community. Midwives should know the indigenous neonatal feeding and bathing practices of the communities they serve to offer relevant culture-sensitive health education. CONTRIBUTIONS : This study contributes to the creation of knowledge about indigenous neonatal care practices amongst mothers and caregivers.The National Research Fundhttps://www.hsag.co.zaam2022Nursing Scienc

The perceptions of traditional healers of cervical cancer care GA Mothapo village in Limpopo province

The purpose of this article is to explore and describe the perceptions of traditional healers of cervical cancer care. The incidence of cervical cancer, especially among black South African females, is among the highest in the world. Women report at clinics and hospitals on a daily basis with advanced stages (stages III and IV) of cervical cancer. Black women consult traditional healers first, before they consult health-care professionals. Although cervical cancer survival rates are said to be improving across South Africa, not all women benefit from the screening programme for early detection of cervical cancer. Traditional healers perform an indispensable role in the delivery of health care, especially in rural areas where access to biomedical care is limited. The article is based on a qualitative, descriptive, and exploratory study. The study population included traditional healers who were chosen through snowball sampling. Data was collected by means of in-depth interviews. Data was analysed using Tesch’s method. The findings of this study demonstrated that the traditional health practitioners have good knowledge about cervical cancer care. This was shown by the knowledge they had of naming the disease, predisposing factors and causes, of cancer care, symptoms of diseases, diagnostic measures and methods of treatment. The findings of this study provided valuable information on the perceptions of traditional healers of cervical cancer care. In view of the knowledge that the traditional healers possess, this study recommended that there be sharing of knowledge and collaboration between modern health-care practitioners and traditional healers. Collaboration may assist in early detection and treatment of cervical cancer, thereby improving the mortality rate.http://www.indilinga.org.zahb201

Lived experiences of antenatal services utilization among pregnant women during COVID- 19 pandemic

BACKGROUND AND AIM : The process of country lockdown, social distancing and limited access to services as a result of COVID-19 pandemic brought a change to established patterns in the antenatal care services in the primary health care systems. The current article presents the lived experience of utilization of antenatal services among pregnant women during covid-19 pandemic. METHODS : A descriptive phenomenological design was used to elicit data from 12 pregnant women. Pregnant women who booked in healthcare services were recruited from Gauteng and Limpopo province in South Africa using a purposive and snowballing sampling method. The data were collected and recorded from July to August 2020, either through the telephone or e-platforms (Zoom and google meet). The recorded data was transcribed and analyzed using the steps outlined by Sundler et all. RESULTS : Four themes emerged from the analysed data. Three themes focused on the experiences of the pregnant women showing the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on antenatal services including: fear of contracting COVID-19 during antenatal; limited available antenatal services and coping with the new normal. The fourth theme is need for digital health education which focused on the antenatal services development. CONCLUSION : The study showed that the covid-19 pandemic negatively impacted utilization of antenatal services among pregnant women. It is therefore important for the health departments to adopt innovative ways to improve utilization of antenatal services among pregnant women during a pandemic situation such as the COVID-19 pandemic.The National Research Foundation.https://jmrh.mums.ac.irhj2023Nursing Scienc