Healthcare professionals' knowledge of modifiable stroke risk factors: A cross-sectional questionnaire survey in greater Gaborone, Botswana

Background - Stroke remains the second leading cause of deaths and disability globally, with highest mortality in Africa (low- and middle-income countries). It is crucial for healthcare professionals to have sufficient stroke risk factors' knowledge in order to reduce the stroke burden. Aims - We investigated healthcare professionals' knowledge of modifiable stroke risk factors, and identified demographic factors influencing this knowledge. Methods - In this cross-sectional survey study from Botswana (upper middle-income country), structured questionnaires reflecting recent stroke guidelines were administered to a representative selection of healthcare workers in greater Gaborone. The response rate was 61.4%, comprising 84 doctors, 227 nurses and 33 paramedics. Categorical data were described using percentages and Chi-square tests. Associations between stroke risk factors' knowledge and demographic factors were analyzed with one-way ANOVA using SPSS 25 statistical software. Results - Awareness rate of individual stroke risk factors was highest for hypertension (96.5%), followed by obesity (93.3%), smoking (91.9%), elevated total cholesterol (91.0%), physical inactivity (83.4%), elevated low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (81.1%), excessive alcohol drinking (77.0%), and lowest for diabetes (73.3%). For all-8 risk factors, doctors had the highest knowledge, followed by nurses and paramedics lowest (7.11 vs 6.85 vs 6.06, P < 0.05)

Stains inner: the lived experience, creative practice and changing body consciousness in HIV and AIDS

Thesis (M.A.)--University of the Witwatersrand, Faculty of Humantities, Dramatic Arts, 2012This creative practice-based research report explores a phenomenological approach to the body as a sensorially, audibly, visibly and viscerally present entity. The research argues for an experience of embodiment that highlights the primacy of the body within the context of the HIV and AIDS pandemic in South Africa. It addresses theoretical and methodological concerns of theatre making as a creative practice for interrogating the body’s lived experience of HIV and AIDS. The study argues that theatre has tended to describe the surface experience of the trauma of HIV and AIDS and that it has failed to speak to the lived body experience of HIV and AIDS. In so doing, this report excavates the innovation of a theatre making process that helps illuminate complex human experience through performance. This research report is written in a way that allows the reader access to the process that was developed by the researcher/theatre maker/writer. Through a facilitated process of theatre making, this study focuses on the four co-researchers/performers lived experiences of HIV and AIDS and how through the use of stimuli (visual art and elements of nature) and the use of the combination of somatic play, movement and sound, they evoked and exhumed their bodies living memory. The accounts that were made in the exploration are presented in this report and in the performance and recording (DVD) of Stains Inner. This research posits the body as a knowing entity in the era of HIV and AIDS in South Africa and highlights the process of on-flow in theatre making as a fluid dynamic process through which the body can viscerally access the latent lived experiences associated with the pandemic. It is a powerful process that enhances the body aesthetic in theatre. The study concludes that this form of theatre making has the capacity to create a transformative experience for the performer and audience. The study also puts forth recommendations that would possibly shift the landscape of HIV and AIDS discourse

Tracking cryptococcal meningitis to monitor HIV program success during the Treat-All era: an analysis of national data in Botswana.

BACKGROUND: Cryptococcal meningitis causes substantial mortality in high-HIV prevalence African countries despite advances in disease management and increasing antiretroviral therapy coverage. Reliable diagnosis of cryptococcal meningitis is cheap and more accessible than other indicators of AHD burden such as CD4 testing or investigation for disseminated tuberculosis; therefore, monitoring cryptococcal meningitis incidence has the potential to serve as a valuable metric of HIV programmatic success. METHODS: Botswana national meningitis surveillance data from 2015 to 2022 were obtained from electronic health records. All electronic laboratory records from cerebrospinal fluid samples analysed within government healthcare facilities in Botswana were extracted from a central online repository. Adjustments for missing data were made through triangulation with prospective cohort study datasets. Cryptococcal meningitis case frequency was enumerated using a case definition and incidence calculated using national census data. RESULTS: A total of 1,744 episodes of cryptococcal meningitis were identified; incidence declined from 15.0 (95% CI 13.4-16.7) cases/100,000 person-years in 2015 to 7.4 (95% CI 6.4-8.6) cases/100,000 person-years in 2022. However, the rate of decline slowed following the introduction of universal treatment in 2016. The highest incidence was observed in men and individuals aged 40-44. The proportion of cases diagnosed through cryptococcal antigen testing increased from 35.5% to 86.3%. CONCLUSION: Cryptococcal meningitis incidence has decreased in Botswana following expansion of ART coverage but persists at a stubbornly high incidence. Most cases are now diagnosed through the cheap and easy-to-use cryptococcal antigen test highlighting the potential of using cryptococcal meningitis as key metric of programme success in the Treat All era

Teachers' views about postsecondary planning and effective transition programs for students with disabilities in Botswana

Transition planning is not an alternative for students with disabilities, but rather a fundamental aspect of their lives upon which educational programs and activities are developed to achieve successful postsecondary outcomes. Unlike developed countries such as the United States, Botswana does not have a transition mandate that guides the preparation of individuals with disabilities for adulthood. In this study, the researcher utilized the United States’ transition framework, with modifications, to suit the cultural context of Botswana in an exploration of perceptions of secondary and vocational school teachers on effective transition programs for students with disabilities. The study especially focused on students with visual impairments, in a sampling of Botswana’s secondary and vocational schools. It examined differences in the beliefs, knowledge, and views of general education teachers, special education teachers, guidance and counseling teachers, and vocational teachers regarding supporting students with disabilities to achieve successful post-school outcomes, as well as participants’ perceptions about the importance of the academic and functional curriculum in the transition planning process. Teachers expressed diverse views, beliefs, and knowledge levels concerning transition planning practices and principles. Recommendations for practice and future research are discussed.Department of Special EducationThesis (D. Ed.

Alternative Cereal Processing Technologies [Conference Program and Proceedings] (Lobatse, Botswana, November 4-6, 2008)

Objectives of the workshop: To review the current status of local cereals production and processing explore opportunities for growing the cereal industry. To promote diversification of cereal processing by sensitizing all players and stakeholders in the cereals industry about readily available alternative cereals processing technologies which have commercial potential. To promote and strengthen collaboration between local and international researchers, as well as fostering strategic partnerships between researchers and users of technologies to develop customer tailored processing technologies

An analysis of the law on employees' rights during the liquidation of companies in Botswana

LLM, North-West University, Mahikeng CampusThis study discusses Botswana's legal framework in relation to the protection of employees' rights in the event of a company's liquidation. Its main focus is on the protection of employees as provided for under the corporate insolvency and labour laws of the country. The study drew its inspiration from the fact that, although there have been several studies conducted worldwide on the rights of workers, there is little research that has been conducted in Botswana on the rights of employees when a company is being liquidated. The main aim of this study was to examine whether Botswana's corporate insolvency law adequately protects employees' rights during the liquidation of a company. The study was motivated by the general concern that when a company is liquidated in Botswana, employees are the ones who suffer the most as their rights are not adequately protected by legal instruments, unlike employers and their creditors who can resort to legal recourse. For data collection, the study relied on a qualitative research approach involving the scrutiny of both labour and corporate statutory frameworks in the protection of employees' rights in Botswana. The study started with a historical overview of Botswana's company law from the pre-independence era to post independence, focusing on a comparative analysis of the implications of international insolvency standards on domestic law. The results show that Botswana's corporate insolvency law, in so far as the protection of employees' rights are concerned, fails to meet the international insolvency standard tests as enunciated by ILO Conventions, UNCITRAL insolvency legislative guide, as well as the World Bank principles. This finding is supported by the fact that Botswana's insolvency framework is fraught with weaknesses such as the lack of employees' claims guarantee fund, the absence of a unified insolvency legislation, the existence of an elaborate and unnecessarily complex creditor claims procedure, a prolonged winding up procedure and the general lack of employees' recognition as a unique class of creditors deserving special protection in corporate insolvency proceedings. In order to untangle the cumbersome legal complexities of liquidation, the study recommends that a reform of the corporate insolvency law in Botswana be made so that the rights of workers can be recognised. The need for law reform is spurred by lessons drawn from benchmarking approaches and corporate law perspectives of the unified insolvency legal framework of OHADA which has authoritatively established itself as a model of an insolvency framework to be adopted by developing countries such as Botswana

Teachers' Views about Postsecondary Planning and Effective Transition Programs for Students with Disabilities in Botswana

Transition planning is not an alternative for students with disabilities, but rather a fundamental aspect of their lives upon which educational programs and activities are developed to achieve successful postsecondary outcomes. Unlike developed countries such as the United States, Botswana does not have a transition mandate that guides the preparation of individuals with disabilities for adulthood. In this study, the researcher utilized the United States’ transition framework, with modifications, to suit the cultural context of Botswana in an exploration of perceptions of secondary and vocational school teachers on effective transition programs for students with disabilities. The study especially focused on students with visual impairments, in a sampling of Botswana’s secondary and vocational schools. It examined differences in the beliefs, knowledge, and views of general education teachers, special education teachers, guidance and counseling teachers, and vocational teachers regarding supporting students with disabilities to achieve successful post-school outcomes, as well as participants’ perceptions about the importance of the academic and functional curriculum in the transition planning process. Teachers expressed diverse views, beliefs, and knowledge levels concerning transition planning practices and principles. Recommendations for practice and future research are discussed

An analysis of the law on employees' rights during the liquidation of companies in Botswana

LLM, North-West University, Mahikeng CampusThis study discusses Botswana's legal framework in relation to the protection of employees' rights in the event of a company's liquidation. Its main focus is on the protection of employees as provided for under the corporate insolvency and labour laws of the country. The study drew its inspiration from the fact that, although there have been several studies conducted worldwide on the rights of workers, there is little research that has been conducted in Botswana on the rights of employees when a company is being liquidated. The main aim of this study was to examine whether Botswana's corporate insolvency law adequately protects employees' rights during the liquidation of a company. The study was motivated by the general concern that when a company is liquidated in Botswana, employees are the ones who suffer the most as their rights are not adequately protected by legal instruments, unlike employers and their creditors who can resort to legal recourse. For data collection, the study relied on a qualitative research approach involving the scrutiny of both labour and corporate statutory frameworks in the protection of employees' rights in Botswana. The study started with a historical overview of Botswana's company law from the pre-independence era to post independence, focusing on a comparative analysis of the implications of international insolvency standards on domestic law. The results show that Botswana's corporate insolvency law, in so far as the protection of employees' rights are concerned, fails to meet the international insolvency standard tests as enunciated by ILO Conventions, UNCITRAL insolvency legislative guide, as well as the World Bank principles. This finding is supported by the fact that Botswana's insolvency framework is fraught with weaknesses such as the lack of employees' claims guarantee fund, the absence of a unified insolvency legislation, the existence of an elaborate and unnecessarily complex creditor claims procedure, a prolonged winding up procedure and the general lack of employees' recognition as a unique class of creditors deserving special protection in corporate insolvency proceedings. In order to untangle the cumbersome legal complexities of liquidation, the study recommends that a reform of the corporate insolvency law in Botswana be made so that the rights of workers can be recognised. The need for law reform is spurred by lessons drawn from benchmarking approaches and corporate law perspectives of the unified insolvency legal framework of OHADA which has authoritatively established itself as a model of an insolvency framework to be adopted by developing countries such as Botswana.Master

Public and outpatients’ awareness of calling emergency medical services immediately by acute stroke in an upper middle-income country: a cross-sectional questionnaire study in greater Gaborone, Botswana

Objectives In this cross-sectional study from Botswana, we investigated awareness of calling emergency medical services (EMS) and seeking immediate medical assistance by acute stroke among stroke risk outpatients and public. Method Closed-ended questionnaires on awareness of calling EMS and seeking immediate medical assistance by acute stroke, were administered by research assistants to a representative selection of outpatients and public. Results The response rate was 96.0% (93.0% for public (2013) and 96.6% for outpatients (795)). Public respondents had mean age of 36.1 ± 14.5 years (age range 18–90 years) and 54.5% were females, while outpatients had mean age of 37.4 ± 12.7 years (age range 18–80 years) and 58.1% were females. Awareness of calling EMS (78.3%), and of seeking immediate medical assistance (93.1%) by stroke attack was adequate. For calling EMS by acute stroke, outpatients had higher awareness than the public (p < 0.05) among those with unhealthy diet (90.9% vs 71.1%), family history of both stroke and heart diseases (90.7% vs 61.2%), no history of psychiatric diseases (93.2% vs 76.0%) and sedentary lifestyle (87.5% vs 74.8%). Predictors of low awareness of both calling EMS and seeking immediate medical assistance were no medical insurance, residing/working together, history of psychiatric diseases, and normal weight. Male gender, ≥50 years age, primary education, family history of both stroke and heart diseases, current smoking, no history of HIV/AIDS, and light physical activity were predictors of low awareness of need for calling EMS. Conclusion Results call for educational campaigns on awareness of calling EMS and seeking immediate medical assistance among those with high risk factor levels