Psychological distress among South African healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has placed immense pressure on healthcare workers (HCWs). OBJECTIVES: This study sought to find the prevalence and factors associated with psychological distress among HCWs in South Africa during the beginning phases of COVID-19 and make relevant recommendations. METHOD: The survey was administered online through a data-free platform. Data were benchmarked to the national population of over 500 000 healthcare professionals in South Africa. Multiple logistic regressions were used to determine association between psychological distress and potential explanatory variables. RESULTS: A total of 7607 healthcare professionals participated in the study (1760 nurses, 2843 medical practitioners and 3004 other healthcare professionals). Half of the nurses, 41% of medical practitioners and 47% of other healthcare professionals were classified as psychologically distressed. Those who were of older age, provided with well-being support services and having a positive outlook on the healthcare system were significantly less likely to be distressed. Being female medical practitioners and female other healthcare professions, requesting routine counselling, being concerned about not having enough leave and that their life insurance policy did not cover COVID-19 were more likely to be distressed. CONCLUSION: Psychological well-being of HCWs in South Africa is at risk. We recommend that psychological distress of HCWs be routinely assessed and that routine counselling, well-being support services, appropriate hazardous leave and insurance be provided to all HCWs.Contribution: This study adds to the literature on the psychological distress faced by HCWs in South Africa during COVID-19.

Psychological distress among South African healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has placed immense pressure on healthcare workers (HCWs). Objectives: This study sought to find the prevalence and factors associated with psychological distress among HCWs in South Africa during the beginning phases of COVID-19 and make relevant recommendations. Method: The survey was administered online through a data-free platform. Data were benchmarked to the national population of over 500 000 healthcare professionals in South Africa. Multiple logistic regressions were used to determine association between psychological distress and potential explanatory variables. Results: A total of 7607 healthcare professionals participated in the study (1760 nurses, 2843 medical practitioners and 3004 other healthcare professionals). Half of the nurses, 41% of medical practitioners and 47% of other healthcare professionals were classified as psychologically distressed. Those who were of older age, provided with well-being support services and having a positive outlook on the healthcare system were significantly less likely to be distressed. Being female medical practitioners and female other healthcare professions, requesting routine counselling, being concerned about not having enough leave and that their life insurance policy did not cover COVID-19 were more likely to be distressed. Conclusion: Psychological well-being of HCWs in South Africa is at risk. We recommend that psychological distress of HCWs be routinely assessed and that routine counselling, well-being support services, appropriate hazardous leave and insurance be provided to all HCWs. Contribution: This study adds to the literature on the psychological distress faced by HCWs in South Africa during COVID-19.

" [I]f I can [be] infected now that means I am going to die ": an explorative study focusing on vulnerable, immunocompromised groups and caregivers experiences and perceptions of the Covid-19 pandemic in South Africa.

ABSTRACTIn this paper, we explored how vulnerable, immunocompromised groups and caregivers of the elderly experienced and perceived the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic in South Africa. Semi-structured interviews were conducted remotely between the 5th andthe 18th of April 2020 in the three South African provinces hardest hit by Covid-19, namely Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape. In total, 60 qualitative key informant interviews and one focus group discussion were conducted. Study participants expressed concerns for elderly people and people with underlying health conditions because of their increased vulnerability to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). People living with HIV expressed an increased fear of infection following the advent of the Covid-19 pandemic in South Africa. The sidelining of healthcare services and stock-outs of medication proved to be an added concern in particular for vulnerable and immunocompromised groups. Overall, the data suggest that the fear of infection is ubiquitous for people who live in unstable environments such as overcrowded townships and informal settlements. Given the increased fears of infection brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic, the mental health of vulnerable communities and those caring for them becomes an added burden for people living in unstable environments.

The HIV Epidemic in South Africa: Key Findings from 2017 National Population-Based Survey.

South Africa has the largest number of people living with HIV worldwide. South Africa has implemented five population-based HIV prevalence surveys since 2002 aimed at understanding the dynamics and the trends of the epidemic. This paper presents key findings from the fifth HIV prevalence, incidence, and behaviour survey conducted in 2017 following policy, programme, and epidemic change since the prior survey was conducted in 2012. A cross-sectional population-based household survey collected behavioural and biomedical data on all members of the eligible households. A total of 39,132 respondents from 11,776 households were eligible to participate, of whom 93.6% agreed to be interviewed, and 61.1% provided blood specimens. The provided blood specimens were used to determine HIV status, HIV incidence, viral load, exposure to antiretroviral treatment, and HIV drug resistance. Overall HIV incidence among persons aged 2 years and above was 0.48% which translates to an estimated 231,000 new infections in 2017. HIV prevalence was 14.0% translating to 7.9 million people living with HIV. Antiretroviral (ARV) exposure was 62.3%, with the lowest exposure among those aged 15 to 24 years (39.9%) with 10% lower ARV coverage among males compared to females. Viral suppression among those on treatment was high (87.3%), whilst HIV population viral load suppression was much lower (62.3%). In terms of risk behaviours, 13.6% of youth reported having had an early sexual debut (first sex before the age of 15 years), with more males reporting having done so (19.5%) than females (7.6%). Age-disparate relationships, defined as having a sexual partner 5+ years different from oneself,) among adolescents were more common among females (35.8%) than males (1.5%). Self-reported multiple sexual partnerships (MSPs), defined as having more than one sexual partner in the previous 12 months, were more commonly reported by males (25.5%) than females (9.0%). Condom use at last sexual encounter was highest among males than females. Three quarters (75.2%) of people reported they had ever been tested for HIV, with more females (79.3%) having had done so than males (70.9%). Two-thirds of respondents (66.8%) self-reported having tested for HIV in the past 12 months. Finally, 61.6% of males in the survey self-reported as having been circumcised, with circumcision being more common among youth aged 15-24 years (70.2%), Black Africans (68.9%), and those living in both rural informal (tribal) areas (65%) and urban areas (61.9%). Slightly more (51.2%) male circumcisions were reported to have occurred in a medical setting than in traditional settings (44.8%), with more young males aged 15-24 (62.6%) and men aged 25-49 (51.5%) reporting to have done so compared to most men aged 50 and older (57.1%) who reported that they had undergone circumcision in a traditional setting. The results of this survey show that strides have been made in controlling the HIV epidemic, especially in the reduction of HIV incidence, HIV testing, and treatment. Although condom use at last sex act remains unchanged, there continue to be some challenges with the lack of significant behaviour change as people, especially youth, continue to engage in risky behaviour and delay treatment initiation. Therefore, there is a need to develop or scale up targeted intervention programmes to increase HIV testing further and put more people living with HIV on treatment as well as prevent risky behaviours that put young people at risk of HIV infection.

" It is like it has come up and stole our lives from us" The first 21 days: A rapid qualitative assessment of how different sectors of society experienced the COVID-19 lockdown in South Africa.

We examined how different sectors of society experienced the first 21 days of the stay-at-home lockdown following the onset of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in South Africa. This rapid qualitative assessment was conducted remotely with 60 key and community informants from different socio-cultural and economic backgrounds in Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape provinces of South Africa. Atlas.ti.8 was used to facilitate qualitative data analysis. Data revealed how the lockdown exacerbated social inequalities for the poor and marginalised. Fear of infection, and food and income insecurity were common concerns mentioned in key and community informant interviews. Despite the social and economic distress, the data also point to a narrative of social responsibility, resilience and social cohesion. The social responsibility and cohesion demonstrated by South African communities should be drawn upon to invoke community resilience, even in the absence of physical proximity.

Geographical variation in HIV testing in South Africa: Evidence from the 2017 national household HIV survey.

BACKGROUND: Identification of the geographical areas with low uptake of HIV testing could assist in spatial targeting of interventions to improve the uptake of HIV testing. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this research study was to map the uptake of HIV testing at the district level in South Africa. METHOD: The secondary analysis used data from the Human Sciences Research Council's 2017 National HIV Prevalence, Incidence, Behaviour and Communication Survey, where data were collected using a multistage stratified random cluster sampling approach. Descriptive spatial methods were used to assess disparities in the proportion of those ever tested for HIV at the district level in South Africa. RESULTS: The districts with the highest overall coverage of people ever having tested for HIV (> 85%) include West Rand in Gauteng, Lejweleputswa and Thabo Mofutsanyane in Free State, and Ngaka Modiri Molema in North-West. These provinces also had the least variation in HIV testing coverage between their districts. Districts in KwaZulu-Natal had the widest variation in coverage of HIV testing. The districts with the lowest uptake of HIV testing were uMkhanyakude (54.7%) and Ugu (61.4%) in KwaZulu-Natal and Vhembe (61.0%) in Limpopo. Most districts had a higher uptake of HIV testing amongst female than male participants. CONCLUSION: The uptake of HIV testing across various districts in South Africa seems to be unequal. Intervention programmes must improve the overall uptake of HIV testing, especially in uMkhanyakude and Ugu in KwaZulu-Natal and Vhembe in Limpopo. Interventions must also focus on enhancing uptake of HIV testing amongst male participants in most districts. Strategies that would improve the uptake of HIV testing include HIV self-testing and community HIV testing, specifically home-based testing.

Socio-economic differences in the uptake of HIV testing and associated factors in South Africa.

BACKGROUND: Improved understanding of barriers to HIV testing is important for reaching the first of the UNAIDS 90-90-90 targets, which states that 90% of HIV positive individuals ought to know their HIV status. This study examined socio-economic status (SES) differences in HIV testing uptake and associated factors among youth and adults 15 years and older in South Africa. METHODS: This study used data from a national cross-sectional, population-based household survey conducted in 2017 using a multi-stage sampling design. A composite SES score was created using multiple correspondence analyses of household assets; households were classified into wealth quintiles and dichotomised into low SES/poorest (lowest 3 quintiles) and high SES/less-poor (highest 2 quintiles). Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression models were used to examine factors associated with the uptake of HIV testing in low and high SES households. RESULTS: HIV testing uptake was 73.8 and 76.7% among low and high SES households, respectively, both of which were below the first 90 targets. Among both low and high SES households, increased HIV testing uptake was significantly associated with females than males. The decreased likelihood was significantly associated with residing in rural formal areas than urban areas, those with no education or low levels of educational attainment and alcohol drinkers among low SES households. Whites and Indians/Asians had a decreased likelihood than Black Africans in high SES households. CONCLUSIONS: HIV testing interventions should target males, residents in rural formal areas, those with no or low education and those that consume alcohol in low SES households, including Whites and Indians/Asians from high SES households in order to bridge socio-economic disparities in the uptake of HIV testing. This should entail expanding HIV testing beyond traditional centres for voluntary counselling and testing through outreach efforts, including mobile testing and home-based testing.

Trends and determinants of ever having tested for HIV among youth and adults in South Africa from 2005-2017: Results from four repeated cross-sectional nationally representative household-based HIV prevalence, incidence, and behaviour surveys.

BACKGROUND: HIV testing contributes to the prevention and control of the HIV epidemic in the general population. South Africa has made strides to improve HIV testing towards reaching the first of the UNAIDS 90-90-90 targets by 2020. However, to date no nationally representative analysis has examined temporal trends and factors associated with HIV testing among youth and adults in the country. AIM: This study aimed to examine the trends and associations with ever having tested for HIV among youth and adults aged 15 years and older in South Africa using the 2005, 2008, 2012 and 2017 nationally representative population-based household surveys. METHODS: The analysis of the data collected used multi-stage stratified cluster randomised cross-sectional design. P-trend chi-squared test was used to identify any significant changes over the four study periods. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted to determine factors associated with HIV testing in each of the survey periods. RESULTS: Ever having tested for HIV increased substantially from 2005 (30.6%, n = 16 112), 2008 (50.4%, n = 13 084), 2012 (65.5%, n = 26 381), to 2017 (75.2%, n = 23 190). Those aged 50 years and older were significantly less likely to ever have tested for HIV than those aged 25-49 years. Those residing in rural areas were significantly less likely to have tested for HIV as compared to people from urban areas. There was a change in HIV testing among race groups with Whites, Coloureds and Indian/Asians testing more in 2005 and 2008 and Black Africans in 2017. Marriage, education and employment were significantly associated with increased likelihood of ever testing for HIV. Those who provided a blood specimen for laboratory HIV testing in the survey rounds and were found to have tested positive were more likely to have ever tested for HIV previously. CONCLUSION: The results show that overall there has been an increase in ever having an HIV test in the South African population over time. The findings also suggest that for South Africa to close the testing gap and reach the first of the UNAIDS 90-90-90 targets by 2020, targeted programmes aimed at increasing access and utilization of HIV testing in young people, males, those not married, the less educated, unemployed and those residing in rural areas of South Africa should be prioritised.