A second Bill of Rights for New Zealand?

The Regulatory Responsibility Bill (RRB) would set out what it calls ‘principles of responsible regulation’ (clause 7). Regulation means all legislation, including secondary regulation and tertiary regulation such as codes and rules

Women\u27s Navigation of Maternal Health Services in Ghana\u27s Upper West Region in the Context of the National Health Insurance Scheme

In 2008 the sub Saharan African country of Ghana implemented a Maternal Exemption Policy (MEP) within its National Health Insurance Scheme. This policy provides coverage for free antenatal, postnatal, and facility delivery to all pregnant women for a one year period. By removing the fees associated with maternal health services, the MEP was intended to reduce maternal mortality and provide equitable health care for pregnant women. While the MEP is generally regarded as beneficial to the women of Ghana, challenges remain, especially in the poor, marginalized and rural communities of the Upper West Region. Given that access to a skilled attendant for birth is widely recognized as the most important factor to prevent maternal deaths and achieve improved maternal health outcomes, this thesis explores barriers to access and utilization of maternal health services provided under the MEP. Using a multi-theoretical framework (political ecologies of health, feminist political ecology, behavioural access to healthcare model) and data from in-depth interviews (22), focus group discussions (10), and key informant interviews (12) collected in 2013 in the Upper West Region, this thesis examines factors which affect women’s navigation of maternal health services, in the context of the maternal exemption policy. Findings suggest certain socioeconomic, geographic, and cultural characteristics, such as hidden costs, lack of available transportation, and the banning of traditional practitioner delivery, dramatically influence the access and use of maternal health care. Although the MEP is technically free, barriers to access exist at every stage of pregnancy, posing detrimental health risks. Results from this study inform policy recommendations

“My children are my world” : Raising the voices of birth mothers with substantial experience of counselling following the loss of their children to adoption or foster care

There is very little published literature on ‘what works’ in terms of support for birth mothers following the loss of their children to compulsory adoption or foster care. The aim of this article is to raise the voices of a group of birth mothers, a historically stigmatised, powerless and neglected group, with substantial experience of counselling following the loss of a child. A user of services and expert by experience was recruited to join the research team and was consulted at all stages of the research process. Five birth mothers were interviewed regarding their experiences of involvement with a counselling service for birth relatives post-child removal. These interviews were systematically analysed using an IPA methodology through the lens of the research question: What are the experiences of birth mothers who engage in person-centred counselling following the loss of a child or children to compulsory adoption or foster care? Three master themes were constructed from the data: ‘From feeling alone, judged and let down … to feeling part of a special relationship’, ‘The healing process’ and ‘My children are my world’. The clinical invitations extended by these findings are discussed.Peer reviewedFinal Accepted Versio

Inequalities in Health and Wellbeing Among Elderly Populations: A Case Study of Central Uganda

Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) has the fastest aging population in the world. Yet its older population has the lowest life expectancy, lowest ratings of subjective wellbeing, and greatest burdens of disease in old age globally. While it is widely recognized that place processes have both positive and negative effects on health and wellbeing in old age, little attention has been given to the multiplicity of place processes that shape health and wellbeing in SSA. This is despite renewed calls from the World Health Organization (WHO) in its Global Strategy and Action Plan on Aging and Health (GSAP) for immediate actions on health and wellbeing in old age. This thesis explores the aging-health-place nexus in the Greater Mukono area of Central Uganda. The research focused on three broad objectives: first, to investigate the relationship between age and subjective wellbeing among older adults; second, to examine the socio-cultural, environmental and political-economic drivers of health and wellbeing in old age; and finally, to examine how gender inequalities over the life course shape health and wellbeing in old age. Drawing on (feminist) political ecology (of health), a social determinants of health framework, and a life course perspective, a mixed method case study approach― involving a secondary survey, in-depth interviews and focus groups with elderly residents, along with interviews with key informants knowledgeable about aging ― was used in the research. The findings from structural equation modelling suggest there are two main pathways through which determinants mediate the age-subjective wellbeing (SWB) relationship, varying by gender. First, social determinants more strongly and positively mediate the age-SWB relationship for women. Second, structural determinants more strongly and positively mediate the age-SWB relationship for men. Results from focus groups (n=15) and key informants (n=34) extend knowledge on the drivers of health, revealing how discriminatory and stereotypical beliefs about old age, at both institutional and interpersonal levels, have direct and indirect effects on aging bodies in multiple domains― political-economic, sociocultural, environmental― which together become embodied in deleterious physical and psychosocial health and wellbeing. Further, findings from in-depth interviews (n=53) and key informants (n=34) reveal the wellbeing of aging men and women is an amalgamation of embodied gendered experiences and social dynamics that are (re)produced and (re)articulated across the life course. The findings expose a counter narrative to the global representation of gendered aging inequalities, illuminating how gender and age are experienced and navigated in sometimes unexpected and contradictory ways. This research makes important contributions to knowledge, policy and practice. Theoretically, this research contributes knowledge on age-relationality, along with an enhanced understanding of the multiscale and multitemporal processes shaping the aging-health-place relation. Likewise, extending the WHO Social Determinants of Health framework to the study of subjective wellbeing provides the conceptual space to operationalize environmental barriers for wellbeing in old age, providing a framework for future operationalization of the GSAP domains. Methodologically, this research contributes to the conceptualization and identification of health and wellbeing determinants in old age in a SSA context; provides an example of how to employ an integrated knowledge translation approach to improve knowledge and understanding of health inequalities in old age; addresses methodological calls for integrated knowledge translation approaches on aging and health to enhance the likelihood that findings are both useful and translatable for programs, practices and policy; and contributes knowledge on the connections between people, health and place across time and over space through the application of qualitative history approaches, particularly event history calendars. Substantively, this research contributes to the geographies of aging literature, increasing understanding of aging experiences and the environmental factors (e.g. socio-cultural, economic, political, physical/built) that affect health and wellbeing outcomes in Uganda. This research brings forth new issues for consideration in the geographies of aging (e.g. implications of changing climates; gender-based violence; water and sanitation; double burdens of disease; demographic conflict) underscoring the importance of examining both social and physical environmental processes in health and wellbeing outcomes. Moreover, it fills important knowledge gaps identified by the WHO GSAP. In terms of policy, this research highlights that government actions are needed to implement: the National Policy for Older Persons through the provision of pensions schemes; the development of social groups and support systems; and strategies that address societal ageism, ill equipped health systems, gender norms, and environmental (natural, built) conditions. Equally, the government should provide opportunities for older people to be included in policy decisions and implementation, as well as put health in all policies to ensure health across the life course and positive outcomes in old age

Community structure and trophic relations in marine tufa stromatolite pools of the Eastern Cape

Microbialites were the dominant life-form of most shallow oceans during the Precambrian. These structures are formed by the deposition of calcium carbonate by cyanobacteria as well as the binding and trapping of sediment by these and other microalgae. In modern environments they are scarce due to several factors, including grazing pressures by metazoans, altered calcium carbonate saturation states of seawater and competition with macroalgae. The recent discovery of an extensive network of actively accreting layered microbialites (stromatolites) along the South African coastline is potentially informative from this perspective. These stromatolites form within the peritidal zone, at the interface of groundwater seepage and periodic marine incursion, forming pools trapped by the accreting fabric. The aim of this thesis was to characterise the ecosystem dynamics of a representative selection of the South African locations. During a comprehensive monthly assessment over an annual cycle, as well as for additional seasonal collections, physico-chemical measurements were monitored together with biological components such as benthic and pelagic microalgae as well as the invertebrate fauna inhabiting the stromatolite pools. These components were then assessed in terms of the potential physical and biological drivers which might explain patterns of variability. Finally, to link all of the ecosystem components, a food-web analysis was conducted, to determine the trophic linkages and, importantly, the reliance by the various consumer organisms on the stromatolite material as a food resource. Results show that the stromatolite pools are driven by a regular interplay between freshwater and marine salinity states, this being determined by tidal amplitude and ocean storm cycles. Furthermore, marine incursion represents the primary source of phosphorus for the stromatolite pools, while available nitrogen is consistently provided by the freshwater inlet stream at each site. This results in an optimum zone of primary biomass within the main stromatolite pool supported by nutrient conditions, while the shifts in salinity state occurring over a weekly tidal schedule likely exclude organisms and macrophytes that are not halotolerant. This is reflected in the benthic microalgae that form the stromatolite accretions in that they are primarily driven by salinity conditions, in addition to seasonal patterns. Interestingly, the variable nutrient conditions, both between sites and temporally, did not contribute as an important driver of the benthic microalgae but did significantly relate to the pelagic microalgae (phytoplankton). This, together with the higher biomass of benthic microalgae compared to its pelagic counterpart, suggests that the stromatolite pools are a benthic-driven system. The short duration of water retention within the stromatolite pools as a result of the constant freshwater inflow, likely also precludes nutrient build-up and favours the benthic, sessile ecosystem component, especially the stromatolite-forming microalgae. In terms of the metazoan infauna, the South African stromatolite pools support a persistent assemblage. This might be surprising given the apparently destructive influence of grazing and burrowing animals on microbial mats in terms of restricting the formation of layered accretions. However, metazoans that burrow within the stromatolite fabric were observed to coexist with clear, layered accretions. This supports the observations in some other modern microbialite habitats to suggest that metazoan disruption is clearly not the only or primary factor responsible for modern microbialite scarcity. When assessing the possible drivers of the metazoan community occupying the stromatolite matrix, both salinity patterns and resource conditions in terms of nutrient supply and macroalgal cover were consistently best related to infaunal abundance and presence/absence. This further demonstrates the role of salinity conditions in terms of providing a habitat that is restrictive to most metazoan organisms, while also suggesting that the metazoans are responding to macroalgal rather than the stromatolite microalgal conditions. To further develop this observation, the results from the stable isotope work clearly reflect a dominance of pool macroalgae in the diets of invertebrate consumers, with little to no stromatolite material consumed. This suggests that there is limited apparent destructive grazing influence by the metazoans on the stromatolite matrix, in addition to the burrowing bioturbation mentioned previously. Furthermore, the metazoan grazers may be indirectly benefitting the stromatolites by restricting macroalgal biomass, which might otherwise outcompete its microalgal counterpart. This study provides a valuable understanding of benthic-driven peritidal stromatolite ecosystems, and also, from a geological perspective of past stromatolite habitats, suggests some of the mechanisms as to why metazoans may be able to coexist with layered microbialites. Given the threats to similar habitats globally, especially in terms of water resources, management measures necessary to ensure stromatolite persistence in modern environments such as these are proposed. The possible ecological role of peritidal stromatolite habitats within the broader environment, as well as recommendations for future work, is also contextualised

Time-activity budgets of cape gannets (Morus Capensis) at Bird Island, Algoa Bay

For several decades now, seabirds have been considered to be useful indicators of the state of their prey resources because of how they reflect lower-level trophic variability through proxies such as diet or behaviour. However, collection of appropriate data is often challenging in the marine environment because of logistical or financial constraints. In this study, time-activity budgets were studied in the Cape gannet (Morus capensis), a seabird which has been advocated as a potential bioindicator for local epipelagic prey. VHF transmitters attached to PVC leg-rings were fitted to 50 adult breeding pairs during the 2011/2012 and 2012/2013 breeding seasons at Bird Island, Algoa Bay, to determine whether an automated method of continuously collecting time-activity budget data can replace conventional laborious direct observations. To validate that the foraging trip duration data generated from the automated method was a reflection of foraging effort, Time-Depth Recorders (TDRs) were simultaneously equipped to birds with VHF transmitters for three weeks. In order to assess the influence of factors other than prey availability on parent time-activity budgets, sex, chick age and body condition were measured. Additionally, chick growth and survival were recorded in order to investigate the gender-specific effects of parental time-activity budget variability on these parameters. Attachment of VHF transmitters to leg-rings of adult Cape gannets had no observable negative effects on the adults or their chicks in terms of adult body condition, nest attendance and foraging trip durations, or chick growth and survival. Furthermore, the frequency distribution of behaviour bout (foraging trip and nest attendance) durations was no different between automated and directly observed data. However, the automated method did record shorter behaviour bouts, largely attributed to the increased likelihood of direct observations missing birds returning briefly to their nests during older chick provisioning. Additionally, foraging trip duration was highly correlated to foraging effort in terms of time spent resting on the sea surface, flying and diving. The automated method therefore appears to be a good reflection of direct nest attendance observations and foraging effort. Cape gannet time-activity budgets were related to chick age and parental sex. Especially as chicks neared fledging, females spent significantly longer periods of time foraging than males, with males consequently provisioning their chicks more often. Furthermore, adults departing their nests earlier spent more time away from the nest foraging as more same-day daylight hours were available. Chick growth was a function of parent foraging trip duration and associated prey delivery rates. Chick survival was most strongly affected by the amount of time which chicks were left unattended by both parents and consequently exposed to predation by kelp gulls (Larus dominicanus) or to adverse weather conditions. Additionally, for females (but not males) there appeared to be a trade-off between foraging trip duration and chick survival. The Cape gannet appears to demonstrate a strategy whereby the costs of reproduction to the female are shifted towards male-dominated chick provisioning as the chick nears fledging. Drivers of time-activity budget variability such as chick age and parental sex therefore need to be considered if using data on foraging trip duration as a proxy of foraging effort and prey availability

Micro-structures, mineralogy, and chemistry of peritidal tufa stromatolites along the Eastern Cape coast

Peritidal tufa microbialites occurring along the coast near Port Elizabeth, South Africa have been investigated from multiple disciplines and are found to be similar to supratidal tufa deposits in South West Australia. Studies have been conducted on the biological factors, geomorphology, ecosystems, and associated water chemistry. However, to date no mineralogical, micro-fabric, or geochemical analyses have been reported on these tufa deposits. This work, carried out at a previously well-studied area, provides the first study of this kind on the tufa. Chapter 1 is a mineralogical and micro-fabric analysis of the tufa deposits near Port Elizabeth for the purpose of classification and contextualisation. Chapter 2 provides the first geochemical study of these peritidal microbialites. X-Ray diffraction (XRD) investigations reveal dominance of low-Mg calcite in the mineral make-up of the tufa. A micro-structure analysis via thin section exposes a number of fabrics, suggesting various micro-facies: phytoherm boundstone (layered), phytoherm framestone (non-layered), lithoclast, and minor metazoan tufa. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images show micro- to nano- scale variation in calcite grains and epitaxial forms of needlefibre calcite (NFC). The elemental composition of the tufa deposits were examined by X-ray fluorescence (XRF), Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (LA-ICPMS), and Scanning Electron Microscopy / Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy (SEM/EDS). XRF and LA-ICP-MS were used to analyse the bulk rock chemistry while SEM/EDS was used to scrutinize specific areas within the tufa. These observations suggest the deposits are better classified as tufa microbialites (rather than exclusively “stromatolites”) and outline similarities and disparities to the micro-fabrics of supratidal tufa deposits in South West Australia, and Cape Morgan, South Africa. Here the Port Elizabeth tufa is shown to be similar, in terms of the dominant elements (O, Ca and to a lesser extent, Mg and Sr), to the Australian deposits despite subtle dissimilarities in water chemistry. Increasing trends toward more marine tufa for many elements are also shown here and can be explained by the interaction with increased amounts of sedimentary products and/or interactions with more saline water that contains a higher TDS (Total Dissolved Salts). This is also the first study to report needle-fibre calcite formation in stromatolites and the first to geochemically analyse modern peritidal microbialites

Fish utilization of surf-zones. Are they changing? A case study of the sheltered, warm-temperate King’s Beach

Surf-zone fish communities and their shifts over time are generally poorly understood. The aim of this study was to compare the current surf-zone fish assemblage at King’s Beach, South Africa, to a similar study conducted three decades ago, before the collapse of many exploited shore fishes in the region. Beach seine nets (mesh sizes of 10 and 50 mm) were used to target juvenile and adult fishes bimonthly from February to August 2011 over the high tide around sunset. A total of 14 species were recorded in both the 30mand 100mseine nets. The catch in these seine nets was dominated by Pomadasys olivaceus and Liza richardsonii, and this was significantly different to three decades ago, when P. olivaceus, Sarpa salpa and Diplodus capensis dominated the catch. Important linefish species belonging to the Sparidae and Sciaenidae families were significantly smaller and less abundant in this study. Two sparids, S. salpa and Lithognathus mormyrus, which made a large contribution to the surf-zone catch three decades ago were absent during this study. Reasons for the significant shifts in the surf-zone fish community, including overexploitation of the linefish and potential habitat modification, are discussed

Rethinking child protection and adoption: achieving social justice in practice

This article presents contributions made at the ‘Rethinking Fostering and Adoption: Achieving Social Justice in Practice’ plenary at the 2019 Social Work Action Network conference. The contributors write from a variety of vantage points but share the view that the current child protection and adoption system in England requires radical transformation in order to become more humane, supportive and socially just. The article begins with an outline of the ‘investigative turn’ in children’s services and key findings from the adoption enquiry of the British Association of Social Workers. It goes on to argue, from lived experience perspectives, that we urgently need a new kind of children’s social care system that foregrounds support, rights, social inclusion and trauma prevention

Sexual Size Dimorphism and Body Condition in the Australasian Gannet

Funding: The research was financially supported by the Holsworth Wildlife Research Endowment. Acknowledgments We thank the Victorian Marine Science Consortium, Sea All Dolphin Swim, Parks Victoria, and the Point Danger Management Committee for logistical support. We are grateful for the assistance of the many field volunteers involved in the study.Peer reviewedPublisher PD