Identifying key risks to the achievement of protected area system objectives

Protected area systems are designed in law and policy towards achieving certain policy objectives. These systems rely on legal frameworks that determine how countries designate, declare and manage their protected areas. To date, little research has been conducted on the risks faced by protected area systems. To this end, this paper aims to identify the key risks for protected area systems achieving their objectives. This is achieved through the application of Theory of Change (ToC), which is internationally recognised as the preferred method to identify underlying assumptions and risks within policy and legal frameworks. We achieve this aim through a case study analysis of the South African protected area system as embedded in law and policy. The application of the ToC method identified 25 underlying assumptions and risks which are central to the protected area system achieving its objectives. Understanding these risks allows for a better understanding of the potential failure of the system and how to avoid it. The paper then explores and discusses the identified risks in terms of existing literature and concludes by making recommendations related to further research for the identified risks

Physiotherapists` knowledge of the transmission and prevention of communicable diseases

With the world-wide increase of communicable diseases, adequate knowledge by health professionals of the transmission and prevention of these diseases is essential to ensure effective protection.  The aim of this study was to determine whether practising physiotherapists’ knowledge of the transmission and prevention of tuberculosis, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV/AIDS was adequate to ensure effective protection.A descriptive study was conducted.  One hundred and forty six practising physiotherapists in the Free State received questionnaires on which they had to indicate the relevant transmission and preventative measures for each disease. One hundred and three (70.5%) questionnaires were returned.  Points were allocated for the knowledge of transmission and preventative measures.  The medians with respect to transmission were: tuberculosis 83%, hepatitis A 58%, hepatitis B 67%, hepatitis C 75% and HIV/AIDS 92%.  The medians with respect to preventative measures were: tuberculosis 57%, hepatitis A 58%, hepatitis B 77%, hepatitis C 67% and HIV/AIDS 71%.  The knowledge of transmission was better than the knowledge of preventative measures.  An increase in the knowledge of practising physiotherapists in the Free State is needed to ensure their maximal protection against communicable diseases