Commentary on the contribution of Working Group III to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

The Working Group III (WGIII) contribution to the 2022 IPCC Report (AR6) provides an updated global assessment of the climate change mitigation process in terms of developments in emission reduction and mitigation efforts, and an assessment of the impact of national climate pledges in relation to long-term emissions goals. New additions are chapters on the social aspects of mitigation and on innovation, technology development and transfer. One of the key messages of the Report is that accelerated and equitable climate action in climate change mitigation and adaptation is critical to sustainable development, with synergies and trade-offs between the SDGs and mitigation and adaptation options highlighted, making connections with the AR6 WGII report. A well-resourced just transition is core to shifting South Africa’s development pathway to increased sustainability, and fostering climate-resilience and low GHG emissions

Exploring the challenges facing former combatants in post apartheid South Africa.

This study is based on in-depth, semi-structured interviews conducted with six former combatants residing in the Kathorus area, East of Gauteng. The main aim of this study was to explore the challenges facing former combatants after twelve years of democracy. The key findings in the study indicate that many former combatants have not defined their identities beyond the militarised masculine identity they identified with during the conflict on the East Rand and this has resulted in some negative social and psychological consequences for these former combatants. Challenges including stigmatisation from the communities in which they reside, unemployment, trauma, and betrayal also emerge from the findings. In conclusion, the many challenges that former combatants face twelve years into democracy highlight the faults and flaws in the demobilisation, disarmament and reintegration process that occurred post apartheid. Some key recommendations that can be made based from this study relate to processes of future demobilisation and social and economic reintegration

The use and safety of antibiotic therapy in pregnant women.

Masters Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban.Background Antibiotic therapy in pregnant women has significantly increased in the effort to reduce maternal and neonatal deaths. However, antibiotic exposure may negatively affect the developing foetus. Information on the use, safety, and impact of antibiotics on birth outcomes and maternal-foetal health in low and middle-income countries are limited. This study aims to evaluate the use of antibiotics among pregnant women by quantifying antibiotic use and commenting on their safety profile. Furthermore, the risk perception of antibiotics among pregnant women, across all geographic regions, were determined. Method Patient demographics and treatment information were obtained from MediTech®; an electronic patient information database, from January 2019 to July 2019. Descriptive and analytical measures were used to describe both patient demographics and antibiotic treatment variables. A systematic review was conducted to determine the risk perception of antibiotics among pregnant women. A systematic search for studies from January 2000 to December 2019 were performed using four databases, which included: PubMed, Scopus, CINAHL, and Psycinfo. The systematic review involved the categorisation of data into relevant themes and sub-themes; data transformation and outcomes were discussed using narrative and thematic synthesis. Results A total of 416 antibiotic prescriptions, issued to 184 patients, were reviewed. Penicillins (39.7%), macrolides (13.0%), and combination penicillin-and-beta-lactam inhibitors (12.3%) were reported as the most commonly prescribed antibiotics in pregnancy. Most antibiotics were prescribed for diseases of the circulatory system (36.1%). A significant correlation was found between the duration of therapy and the age of the patient (>20, p=0.0009, 20-29, p=0.017, 30-42, p=0.03). The systematic review identified a total of 1539 articles, of which 14 studies met the inclusion criteria. The selected studies included four regions: Europe, America, Asia, and Africa. Limited studies were found in low and middle-income countries, especially among rural communities. Conclusion Penicillins remain as the most common antibiotic used in pregnant women. However, the use of other antibiotic classes apart from the commonly used beta-lactams are also increasing, showing evidence of antibiotic resistance. In addition, the influence of perception significantly affects antibiotic use among pregnant women

Antibiotic use amongst pregnant women in a public hospital in KwaZulu-Natal

Background: Antibiotics are amongst the more frequently prescribed medicines in pregnant women and the use of antibiotics is increasing. However, with limited studies available in this population, the safe use of antibiotics in pregnancy remains a concern. Aim: To evaluate the use of antibiotics amongst pregnant women attending a public health care facility. The main objective of this study was to quantify the types of antibiotics used in pregnant women. Setting: A public hospital classified as a referral hospital located in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal. Methods: Demographic and treatment information of women were collected retrospectively from January 2019 to July 2019. A total of 184 pregnant patients, who received antibiotic therapy, were included in this study. Descriptive and analytical measures were used to analyse both patient demographics and treatment variables. Results: A total of 416 antibiotic prescriptions, issued to 184 patients, were reviewed. Penicillins (39.7%), macrolides (13.0%) and combination penicillin- and beta-lactam inhibitors (12.3%) were reported as the most commonly prescribed antibiotics. Rifamycin (2.9%), hydrazides (2.2%) and aminoglycosides (1.9%) were less frequently prescribed. Most antibiotics were prescribed for diseases of the circulatory system (36.1%). Conclusion: Several classes of antibiotics were used in pregnancy despite the lack of available safety data and clinical evidence. Informing women of the potential side effects and keeping abreast with new information played an important role in the safe, rational and effective use of medicines that contributed to improving maternal health

Commentary on the contribution of Working Group III to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

The Working Group III (WGIII) contribution to the 2022 IPCC Report (AR6) provides an updated global assessment of the climate change mitigation process in terms of developments in emission reduction and mitigation efforts, and an assessment of the impact of national climate pledges in relation to long-term emissions goals. New additions are chapters on the social aspects of mitigation and on innovation, technology development and transfer. One of the key messages of the Report is that accelerated and equitable climate action in climate change mitigation and adaptation is critical to sustainable development, with synergies and trade-offs between the SDGs and mitigation and adaptation options highlighted, making connections with the AR6 WGII report. A well-resourced just transition is core to shifting South Africa’s development pathway to increased sustainability, and fostering climate-resilience and low GHG emissions

Heterogeneity in tumour content and necrosis in primary lung cancers: Implications for molecular analysis

Lung adenocarcinoma (AC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) tumours have a large variance in tumour cell content. This heterogeneity is a concern for genomic studies, as it is difficult to distinguish mutational differences between tumour and non-tumour if low percentage tumour is used for analysis. In addition to this, tumour samples are affected by the amount of necrosis present, as the overall number of viable cells is decreased. We assessed tumour and necrotic content in lung tumour specimens from AC and SCC patients and aimed to identify possible implications for the suitability of these samples in molecular characterisation studies using next generation sequencing technology