Exploring social biographies of young black men from Soweto who do not complete university

M.A. (Sociology)Abstract: South African research has shown that only a few students who go to university graduate in record time. The Department of Higher Education released a report in 2015 which indicates that 47.9% of university students did not complete their degrees and that the highest dropout rates were amongst black students, with 32.1% leaving in their first year. For that reason, this study seeks to investigate how the social biographies of young black men from Soweto implicate on their academic success. The theoretical framework of this study is Pierre Bourdieu’s Cultural Capital theory. It is used to argue that working class students do not complete university because they do not possess the necessary knowledge, experiences and practices that are required in university. As a result, academic success or failure is attributed to native characteristics which are embedded in the social biographies of the individual. Data was collected using qualitatively using social biographies. The participants that were used in this study were four young black men from Soweto. The participants were between the ages of 25 and 27, living in different parts of Soweto and had dropped out of university within the last five years

Atypical hepatitis B virus serology profile—hepatitis B surface antigen-positive/hepatitis B core antibody-negative—in hepatitis B virus/HIV coinfected individuals in Botswana

DATA AVAILABILITY : The data presented in this study are available upon request from the corresponding author. The data are not publicly available as the sequences are currently being analyzed for other objectives of the bigger project.BACKGROUND : Hepatitis B core antibodies (anti-HBc) are a marker of hepatitis B virus (HBV) exposure; hence, a normal HBV serology profile is characterized by HBV surface antigen (HBsAg) and anti-HBc positivity. However, atypical HBV serologies occur, and we aimed to determine the prevalence of an atypical profile (HBsAg+/anti-HBc-) in a cohort of people with HIV-1 (PWH) in Botswana. METHODS : Plasma samples from an HIV-1 cohort in Botswana (2013–2018) were used. The samples were screened for HBsAg and anti-HBc. Next-generation sequencing was performed using the GridION platform. The Wilcoxon rank-sum test and Chi-squared tests were used for the comparison of continuous and categorical variables, respectively. RESULTS : HBsAg+/anti-HBc- prevalence was 13.7% (95% CI 10.1–18.4) (36/263). HBsAg+/anti-HBc- participants were significantly younger (p < 0.001), female (p = 0.02) and ART-naïve (p = 0.04) and had a detectable HIV viral load (p = 0.02). There was no statistically significant difference in the number of mutations observed in participants with HBsAg+/anti-HBc- vs. those with HBsAg+/anti-HBc+ serology. CONCLUSIONS : We report a high HBsAg+/anti-HBc- atypical serology profile prevalence among PWH in Botswana. We caution against HBV-testing algorithms that consider only anti-HBc+ samples for HBsAg testing, as they are likely to underestimate HBV prevalence. Studies to elucidate the mechanisms and implications of this profile are warranted.Wellcome Trust and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Common Fund.https://www.mdpi.com/journal/virusesSchool of Public Management and Administration (SPMA

Safety of AZD1222 COVID-19 vaccine and low Incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in Botswana following ChAdOx1(AZD1222) vaccination : a single-arm open-label interventional study – final study results

SUPPLEMENTARY FIGURE S1: Binding antibody responses to SARS-CoV-2 spike (Anti-S) following vaccination with ChAdOx1 (AZD1222).SUPPLEMENTARY FIGURE S2: SAR-COV-2 variant Dynamics (Fig S2-A) and cumulative number of cases by COVID-19 zones (showing study sites 1 to 5).SUPPLEMENTARY TABLE S1: Line listing of adverse events of special interest.SUPPLEMENTARY TABLE S2: Line listing of serious adverse events.SUPPLEMENTARY TABLE S3: Incidence (per 1,000 participant-years) of AE, localised and systemic adverse events by prior COVID infection status.SUPPLEMENTARY TABLE S4: Sociodemographic characteristics of participants enrolled in the immunogenicity subcohort of the ChAdOx1(AZD1222) study.SUPPLEMENTARY TABLE S5: geometric mean concentrations of Anti-Nucleocapsid antibody levels by dose and time (days) since first-dose.SUPPLEMENTARY TABLE S6: geometric mean concentrations of Anti-Spike antibody levels by dose and time (days) since first-dose.OBJECTIVES : We report the final analysis of the single-arm open-label study evaluating the safety and COVID-19 incidence after AZD1222 vaccination in Botswana conducted between September 2021 and August 2022. METHODS : The study included three groups of adults (>18 years), homologous AZD1222 primary series and booster (AZ2), heterologous primary series with one dose AZD1222, and AZD1222 booster (HPS), and primary series other than AZD1222 and AZD1222 booster (OPS). We compared the incidence of AEs in participants with and without prior COVID-19 infection using an exact test for rate ratios. RESULTS : Among 10,894 participants, 9192 (84.4%) were enrolled at first vaccine dose, 521 (4.8%) at second vaccine, and 1181 (10.8%) at the booster vaccine. Of 10,855 included in the full analysis set, 1700 received one dose of AZD1222; 5377 received two doses; 98 received a heterologous series including one AZD1222 and a booster; 30 in the HPS group; 1058 in the OPS group; and 2592 in the AZ2 group. No laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 hospitalizations or deaths were reported. The incidence of laboratory-confirmed symptomatic COVID infection for the AZ2 group was 6.22 (95% confidence interval: 2.51-12.78) per 1000 participant-years (1000-PY) and 3.5 (95% confidence interval: 0.42-12.57) per 1000-PY for AZ2+booster group. Most adverse events were mild, with higher incidence in participants with prior COVID-19 infection. Individuals with prior COVID-19 exposure exhibited higher binding antibody responses. No differences in outcomes were observed by HIV status. CONCLUSION : AZD1222 is safe, effective, and immunogenic for people living with and without HIV.AstraZeneca under an externally sponsored collaborative research agreement, partially supported through the Sub-Saharan African Network for TB/HIV Research Excellence (SANTHE 2.0), by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (INV-033558) and the National Institutes of Health NIH Fogarty International Center.http://www.elsevier.com/locate/ijregihj2024School of Health Systems and Public Health (SHSPH)SDG-03:Good heatlh and well-bein

Persistence and risk factors of occult hepatitis B virus infections among antiretroviral therapy-naïve people living with HIV in Botswana

AimThis study aimed to determine the kinetics of occult hepatitis B virus infections (OBI) among people with HIV (PWH).MethodsThe study used archived plasma samples from longitudinal HIV natural history studies. We identified new OBI cases and assessed risk factors for OBI using Cox proportional hazards regression analysis.ResultsAt baseline, 8 of 382 [(2.1%) (95% CI: 1.06–4.1)] samples tested positive for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg+). Of the 374 HBsAg-negative samples, 76 had sufficient sample volume for HBV DNA screening. OBI positivity (OBI+) at baseline was reported in 11 of 76 [14.7 95% CI (8.3–24.1)] HBsAg-negative (HBsAg−) participants. Baseline HBsAg-negative samples with sufficient follow-up samples (n = 90) were used for analysis of newly identified OBI cases. Participants contributed 129.74 person-years to the study and were followed for a median of 1.02 years (IQR: 1.00–2.00). Cumulatively, there were 34 newly identified OBI cases from the 90 participants, at the rate of 26.2/100 person-years (95% CI: 18.7–36.7). Newly identified OBI cases were more common among men than women (61.1% vs. 31.9%) and among participants with CD4+ T-cell counts ≤450 cells/mL (p-value = 0.02). Most of the newly identified OBI cases [55.9% (19/34)] were possible reactivations as they were previously HBV core antibody positive.ConclusionThere was a high rate of newly identified OBI among young PWH in Botswana, especially in men and in participants with lower CD4+ T-cell counts. OBI screening in PWH should be considered because of the risk of transmission, possible reactivation, and risk factors for the development of chronic liver disease, including hepatocellular carcinoma

Strategies to prevent HIV infections among women in the Ditsobotla Municipality of the North West Province, South Africa

The status of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) among women in South Africa is worrisome. Imbalances in power relations between men and women subject women to perpetual vulnerability to HIV infection whilst effective preventative interventions are lacking. Whilst antiretrovirals (ARVs) are successful in treating HIV, they are not vaccines. This study sought to identify new strategies that can be employed to prevent HIV infections among women in the Ditsobotla Municipality, North West (NW) Province, South Africa. This study applied the narrative research design. The study population comprised Health officials, Social Development officials, councillors, CBO representatives and Police officials residing in Ditsobotla Local Municipality. The researcher used a purposive sampling method to identify key informants from the population sample. A sample of 22 participants contributed to the study. Semi-structured interviews were employed to collect primary data from key informants using the ZOoom virtual platform. The study employed content analysis, which involved coding and arranging the data into chunks of information and categories. Setswana and English languages were used in this study. The results showed five main factors fuelling the spread of HIV: violence against women, inconsistent use of condoms and other prevention methods, abuse of alcohol and drug substances, multiple sex partners, and misconceptions about HIV/AIDS. Whilst there are existing HIV prevention interventions in Ditsobotla, such as condom distribution, small group counselling known as "You Only Live Once" (YOLO), and post-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), their coverage remains sub-optimal, putting women at risk of HIV infection. The study recommends creating an enabling environment for comprehensive HIV services for women: enhancing the implementation of combination prevention interventions and an integrated HIV services approach, including PrEP, condom promotion and male involvement; optimising education for young girls; harnessing empowerment of women as the cornerstone to changing the HIV epidemic; leveraging telehealth as the digital information and communication technological solutions; leveraging the availability of an integrated M&E framework.Social WorkM. A. (Social and Behavioural Studies

Population exposure to cyanide vapour from gold mine tailings dams

M.Sc.Atmospheric emissions of dust and chemicals from gold mine tailings are ongoing environmental management issues on the Witwatersrand, where residential areas have developed in proximity to dumps. Residual amounts of cyanide, used as a chemical in the gold extraction process, are deposited with the mineral tailings. This study deals with the evaluation of population exposure to cyanide vapour emitted from gold mine tailings dams, an issue of environmental impact and public health concern. The first part of this study deals with the determination of the emission factors of cyanide vapour from three selected gold mine tailings dams: one under reclamation; one no longer operational; and one fully operational as a slimes deposition site. These three sites are located in the Boksburg area of the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality. Twelve samples were collected in all: six from the Cason (2628AAL91) mine dump (under reclamation in 2006); four from the ERPM tailings complex [comprising the dormant deposits 4/L/47, 4/L/48, 4/L/49 and 4/L/50, which are north of the N17 national highway; and the 2628ACL1 deposit, which is south of the N17]; and two from the Rooikraal (active) deposition site. All samples were collected in the year 2006. In the second part of the study, the obtained emission factors were used in an Industrial Source Complex dispersion model to measure the degree of population exposure to cyanide vapour for communities that are in proximity to the operational gold mine tailings dams in the Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality. In the third part, a health risk assessment was carried out for communities in proximity to the selected gold mine tailings dams. The study revealed the average flux (± std. dev.) of Cason to be (4.7 ± 0.8) x 10-7 g m-2 s-1, the average flux of ERPM (3.9 ± 0.6) x 10-7 g m-2 s-1, the average flux of Rooikraal (1.7 ± 0.2) x 10-5 g m-2 s-1. The concentrations of cyanide vapour emitted from the older tailings deposits (sand) that are under reclamation and the dormant slimes dams are very low (and pose little health risk to occupants of adjacent land). However, HCN emission factors from operational tailings dams, which are receiving continuous depositions, are 3 to 80 times higher than the emission factors from dormant mine tailings. Ambient cyanide concentrations near the active tailings deposits may sometimes exceed selected international health standards. The average hourly, daily and annual dispersion model calculations for the Nasrec tailings deposition sites in Johannesburg revealed that 117 938, 18 722 and 8 130 people respectively were exposed to hydrogen cyanide concentrations that were above international (Ontario, Canada) standards. This raises environmental concerns that require institution of cyanide monitoring and setting of emission limits applicable to South African legal and environmental circumstances. These conclusions are based on a small number of emission factor determinations and hence these findings should be regarded as provisional. Further testing and verification are required for emission factors from a larger number of dormant, reworked and active tailings dams

Working to support orphans and vulnerable children in southern Africa: a reflection on values, principles and organisational issues

In 2002, the Human Sciences Research Council was commissioned by the WK Kellogg Foundation to develop and implement a five-year intervention project focusing on orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) in southern Africa. In collaboration with several partner organizations, the project currently focuses on how children, families and communities in Botswana, South Africa and Zimbabwe are coping with the impact of HIV/AIDS. The aim of the project is to develop models of best practise so as to enhance and improve support structures for OVC in the southern African region as a whole. This report forms part of a series that examines the work undertaken as part of the Kellogg OVC Intervention Project from 2002 to 2005