ABSTRACT
Mother-to-child transmission of HIV remains the primary contributor to HIV infections in children, globally. Despite the progress made to reduce new HIV infections in children, barriers to utilization of the Elimination of Mother-to-Child Transmission service remain the bottleneck that affects the program's effectiveness. This study aims to develop a framework to address barriers to the utilization of the Elimination of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV services among pregnant women and lactating mothers in Gauteng province. A convergent parallel mixed methods design will be employed in phases. Phase 1(a) quantitative will be collected from pregnant women and lactating mothers to describe barriers associated with poor utilization of elimination of mother-to-child transmission services and a potential strategy to facilitate EMTCT utilization; phase 1(b) qualitative data will be collected to explore reasons for poor utilization of EMTCT services and perceived strategy to enhance women's utilization of elimination of mother-to-child transmission services. Quantitative data will be analyzed using Stata software version 14.0 and qualitative data will be analyzed thematically and then results will be integrated. Phase 2: will focus on the development of a framework; Phase 3: will validate the developed framework. The conclusion and recommendations will be based on the findings of the study.
ABSTRACT
Background: Solid waste management is one of the most dangerous occupations in the world because of its potential harm from the waste to the environment and the public. Therefore, the protection of human health and the environment is a challenge that all countries are facing. Aim: The study explored occupational health and safety hazards among waste handlers at a selected municipality in Limpopo Province. Setting: The study was conducted in one municipality in the Vhembe District. Methods: The study used a qualitative, explorative and contextual design to explore occupational health and safety hazards among participants. Participants were sampled using purposive sampling. Data were collected through in-depth individual interviews that lasted between 40 min and 45 min. The sampled size comprised 18 participants and was determined by data saturation. Tesch's open coding was used to analyse data, where the main theme, categories and sub-categories emerged. Results: The findings revealed the main theme, namely municipal waste handlers experience occupational health and safety hazards. Four categories emerged from the main theme, namely physical, psychosocial, biological and chemical hazards. The categories were further divided into sub-categories such as exposure to extreme weather conditions and musculoskeletal injuries. Conclusion: Solid waste handlers experienced preventable physical and chemical occupational health and safety hazards that are inherent to their job. It is recommended that workers be provided with adequate suitable protective equipment to reduce the level of occupational health hazards. Contribution: The findings in this study will help in closing the gaps by the municipality for failing to prioritise working conditions for municipality waste handlers.
ABSTRACT
Achieving the effectiveness of antenatal outcomes depends on the utilization of antenatal care services. The purpose of the study was to explore the utilization of antenatal care in Mutasa District, Zimbabwe. A qualitative research approach using explorative and descriptive design was utilized. Purposive and snowball sampling techniques were used to sample pregnant women and women whose children were under the age of one year. In-depth interviews were conducted using the Shona language. Data were analyzed using thematic content analysis where themes and sub-themes emerged; namely; factors influencing the perceptions of women on antenatal care services uptake. We certify that all applicable institutional and governmental regulations concerning the ethical use of human volunteers were followed during this research. Multiple obstacles to adherence were identified, including a low level of education, low socio-demographic factors such as age, low income, distance traveled to the clinic, high parity, and acceptability of antenatal care by rural women. Awareness should be made by the Zimbabwean Ministry of Health and Child Care through better education of the target groups such as young mothers, people from low socio-economic groups, and childbearing women for better utilization.