PEPETELA’S THE RETURN OF THE WATER SPIRIT AS A PARABLE OF THE POSTCOLONIAL CONDITION IN ANGOLA

Writing about a post-colonial society which has fallen in love with capitalist democracy in the face of a crumbling Russian empire, Pepetela argues in The Return of the Water Spirit that the common people who fought for independence have been marginalized in post-independence Angola as the ruling class, once socialist, now worship on the altar of greedy capitalism. This paper contends that in this novel, Pepetela asserts that good as the naked revolution is in confronting the selfish ruling elite, the mythic example of Kianda in reclaiming what rightly belongs to him points the way forward in the Angolan people’s quest for a genuine reclamation of their political voice. In the final analysis, this paper concludes, Angolan problems can only be truly solved by Angolan-bred ideas

Oases in the Desert: Optimistic Vision in Alex La Guma’s A Walk in the Night and a Threefold Cord

The metaphor of the desert best describes the poverty-stricken, miserable and marginal apartheid-induced life of the blacks as depicted by Alex La Guma in A Walk in the Night and And a Threefold Cord. The crime, prostitution, drunkenness and gangsterism which constitute the world of District Six and the Cape Flats, the settings of the two works, no doubt, justify this metaphor. But then, not even the driest of deserts is bereft of a few refreshing oases, pockets of hope which La Guma couches in symbols. This paper, therefore, explores this optimistic vision in the two works in focus, a recognition of the novelist’s faithfulness to realism which dictates that the artist should be able to capture imaginatively, the realities of his immediate environment. The overall artistic significance of this optimistic vision, the paper contends, does not only lie in helping to tone down the grimness of the narrative but in foreshadowing the ultimate victory of the struggle of the non-whites over the forces of oppression as represented by the hydra-headed apartheid system of government

Prevalence Distribution and Risk Factors for Schistosoma hematobium Infection among School Children in Blantyre, Malawi

Schistosoma hematobium infection is a parasitic infection endemic in Malawi. Schistosomiasis usually shows a focal distribution of infection and it is important to identify communities at high risk of infection and assess effectiveness of control programs. We conducted a survey in one district in Malawi to determine prevalence and factors associated with S. hematobium infection among primary school pupils. Using a questionnaire, information on history of passing bloody urine and known risk factors associated with infection was collected. Urine samples were collected and examined for S. hematobium eggs. One thousand one hundred and fifty (1,150) pupils were interviewed, and out of 1,139 pupils who submitted urine samples, 10.4% were infected. Our data showed that male gender, child's knowledge of an existing open water source (includes river, dam, springs, lake, etc.) in the area, history of urinary schistosomiasis in the past month, distance of less than 1 km from school to nearest open water source and age 8–10 years compared to those 14 years and older were independently associated with infection. These findings suggest that children attending schools in close proximity to open water sources are at increased risk of infection

Prevalence, associated factors and outcomes of pressure injuries in adult intensive care unit patients: the DecubICUs study

Funder: European Society of Intensive Care Medicine; doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100013347Funder: Flemish Society for Critical Care NursesAbstract: Purpose: Intensive care unit (ICU) patients are particularly susceptible to developing pressure injuries. Epidemiologic data is however unavailable. We aimed to provide an international picture of the extent of pressure injuries and factors associated with ICU-acquired pressure injuries in adult ICU patients. Methods: International 1-day point-prevalence study; follow-up for outcome assessment until hospital discharge (maximum 12 weeks). Factors associated with ICU-acquired pressure injury and hospital mortality were assessed by generalised linear mixed-effects regression analysis. Results: Data from 13,254 patients in 1117 ICUs (90 countries) revealed 6747 pressure injuries; 3997 (59.2%) were ICU-acquired. Overall prevalence was 26.6% (95% confidence interval [CI] 25.9–27.3). ICU-acquired prevalence was 16.2% (95% CI 15.6–16.8). Sacrum (37%) and heels (19.5%) were most affected. Factors independently associated with ICU-acquired pressure injuries were older age, male sex, being underweight, emergency surgery, higher Simplified Acute Physiology Score II, Braden score 3 days, comorbidities (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, immunodeficiency), organ support (renal replacement, mechanical ventilation on ICU admission), and being in a low or lower-middle income-economy. Gradually increasing associations with mortality were identified for increasing severity of pressure injury: stage I (odds ratio [OR] 1.5; 95% CI 1.2–1.8), stage II (OR 1.6; 95% CI 1.4–1.9), and stage III or worse (OR 2.8; 95% CI 2.3–3.3). Conclusion: Pressure injuries are common in adult ICU patients. ICU-acquired pressure injuries are associated with mainly intrinsic factors and mortality. Optimal care standards, increased awareness, appropriate resource allocation, and further research into optimal prevention are pivotal to tackle this important patient safety threat

Correction to: Prevalence, associated factors and outcomes of pressure injuries in adult intensive care unit patients: the DecubICUs study

The original version of this article unfortunately contained a mistake

Prevalence, associated factors and outcomes of pressure injuries in adult intensive care unit patients: the DecubICUs study

Funder: European Society of Intensive Care Medicine; doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100013347Funder: Flemish Society for Critical Care NursesAbstract: Purpose: Intensive care unit (ICU) patients are particularly susceptible to developing pressure injuries. Epidemiologic data is however unavailable. We aimed to provide an international picture of the extent of pressure injuries and factors associated with ICU-acquired pressure injuries in adult ICU patients. Methods: International 1-day point-prevalence study; follow-up for outcome assessment until hospital discharge (maximum 12 weeks). Factors associated with ICU-acquired pressure injury and hospital mortality were assessed by generalised linear mixed-effects regression analysis. Results: Data from 13,254 patients in 1117 ICUs (90 countries) revealed 6747 pressure injuries; 3997 (59.2%) were ICU-acquired. Overall prevalence was 26.6% (95% confidence interval [CI] 25.9–27.3). ICU-acquired prevalence was 16.2% (95% CI 15.6–16.8). Sacrum (37%) and heels (19.5%) were most affected. Factors independently associated with ICU-acquired pressure injuries were older age, male sex, being underweight, emergency surgery, higher Simplified Acute Physiology Score II, Braden score 3 days, comorbidities (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, immunodeficiency), organ support (renal replacement, mechanical ventilation on ICU admission), and being in a low or lower-middle income-economy. Gradually increasing associations with mortality were identified for increasing severity of pressure injury: stage I (odds ratio [OR] 1.5; 95% CI 1.2–1.8), stage II (OR 1.6; 95% CI 1.4–1.9), and stage III or worse (OR 2.8; 95% CI 2.3–3.3). Conclusion: Pressure injuries are common in adult ICU patients. ICU-acquired pressure injuries are associated with mainly intrinsic factors and mortality. Optimal care standards, increased awareness, appropriate resource allocation, and further research into optimal prevention are pivotal to tackle this important patient safety threat

Pepetela’s Naked Revolution as an Imaginative Stride towards African Recovery

Against the backdrop of many Africans’ demand that the African writer bring his artistic prowess to bear on the continent’s multifarious problems, this paper examines Pepetela’s “naked revolution” as enunciated in The Return of the Water Spirit as an imaginative stride towards African recovery. Unlike the Marxist-Leninist ideology and the capitalist democracy which have failed the Angolan people, naked revolution is truly organic and non-elitist. Its uniqueness lies in its originality in the African soil, a vote no doubt, for the continent to look inwards for its own salvation rather than rely on foreign “messiahs” and their questionable means, methods and modes. This, the paper contends, is the very essence of the connection with the myth of the water spirit and his uncanny exploits. Even so, the paper concludes, the revolution can only truly contribute to the African recovery if it goes beyond mere nakedness to full scale praxis like the Kianda in its operation. This way, the triumph of the water spirit becomes a metaphor for the eventual triumph of the revolution which will eventually bring about a new Angola where virtue is truly stronger because it is united. KEY WORDS:      revolution, naked, independence, elite Africa, recovery