Risk factors associated with a high incidence of sexually transmitted infections in Beitbridge, Zimbabwe.

BACKGROUND:  Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are a major public health challenge, particularly in developing countries where the health infrastructure is often poor. Despite having a number of interventions in Beitbridge (such as the 24-h wellness centre), Zimbabwe, the incidence and prevalence of STIs is increasing. OBJECTIVES:  This study, therefore, aims to assess the risk factors associated with the high incidence of STIs in urban Beitbridge. METHOD:  A case-control study was conducted on 30 respondents who had suffered from STIs (selected from the registers at Beitbridge hospital and followed up) and 90 respondents who had not suffered from STIs (from the community) who resided in Beitbridge for at least 6 months and this excluded all those who were in transit. The factors contributing to the high incidence of STIs were identified using a pretested interviewer-administered semi-structured questionnaire in conjunction with a Likert scale to establish the attitudes and risk behaviours of the respondents on STIs. RESULTS:  A significant association was observed between high STI incidences and the nature of occupation (odds ration [OR]: 3.8), area of residence (OR: 2.78), number of sexual partners (OR: 7.56), payment demanded for sex (OR 22), condom use (OR: 3.7), alcohol use (OR: 2.86), and suspicion that partners had other sexual companions (OR: 15.5). Furthermore, a larger proportion of controls were knowledgeable on STIs as compared to the cases who participated in the study. CONCLUSION:  There is a need to develop awareness strategies that foster safe sexual practices, particularly among populations who do not choose abstinence or a single sexual partner lifestyle.

Traditional Medicine Utilisation Among Pregnant Women in Sub-saharan African Countries: A Systematic Review of Literature.

Traditional medicine has the potential to boost the health and economies of many SSA countries, especially if regulatory mechanisms are deployed to govern their protection and utilisation. There is lack of knowledge regarding traditional medicines and their impact on pregnancy. This paper reviews the literature on traditional medicine utilisation among pregnant women in Sub-Saharan African countries. The paper, determined the proportion of pregnant women utilising traditional medicines in Sub-Saharan Africa, identified the different types of traditional medicine used during antenatal care and reasons for Use in Sub-Saharan Africa and also identified challenges that are faced by women who use traditional medicine in antenatal care. A systematic exploratory review was conducted guided by the PRISMA framework. The databases that were searched included Google Scholar, PubMed, Cochrane, HINARI and the World Health Organization. Forty-one literature sources were eligible and included in the review process. Reported traditional medicine utilisation ranged between 12 and 93% among pregnant women in Sub-Saharan Africa. Different types of traditional medicines have been utilised in Sub-Saharan Africa for different purposes. Safety and poor management of usage were reported to be some of the challenges associated with traditional medicine. There is a need to determine chemical components and mode of action of these herbs as some could be beneficial, whilst others harmful, leading to severe pregnancy complications.

An evaluation of the effectiveness of the Behaviour Based Safety Initiative card system at a cement manufacturing company in Zimbabwe.

BACKGROUND: A behavior-based safety initiative card-issuing system was introduced at a cement-manufacturing company in Zimbabwe in 2008 to try and curb accident occurrence. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the Behaviour Based Safety Initiative card system as a tool used for reducing accident frequencies. METHODS: A mixed-method approach that involving administering piloted questionnaires to 40 out of 244 randomly selected employees, making observations, and reviewing secondary data were done to collect data from different sources in the organization in 2013. A paired t-test was conducted to test whether there was significant difference in accident occurrence before and after the implementation of the BBSI. Scatterplots were also used to establish the correlation between the issuance of cards and the accident and injury occurrence. RESULTS: The findings suggest that the introduction of the card system brought a significant decrease in accident and injury occurrence. A negative correlation between card issuance and accident occurrence was observed, i.e., the greater the number of cards issued, the fewer the number of accidents. It was also noted that the card system positively influenced the mindset of workers towards safe work practices. CONCLUSION: The card system had an influence on the reduction of accidents and injuries. The organization should leverage on issuing more cards to further reduce the number of accidents and injuries to zero.

Patient satisfaction with nurse-delivery primary health care services in Free State and Gauteng provinces, South Africa: A comparative study.

BACKGROUND: The majority of health care users in South Africa utilise primary health care (PHC) services where these services are free at the point of entry. There is a dearth of knowledge on the factors influencing patient satisfaction with PHC clinic services. AIM: This study compared patient satisfaction with PHC services in the Free State (FS) and Gauteng (GP) provincesSetting: Secondary data analysis was conducted on a cross-sectional survey obtained from the Research on the State of Nursing Project run by the Centre for Health Policy in 2012. METHODS: A pre-tested satisfaction survey questionnaire with questions on facility evaluation, experience with providers and receipt of medication was administered to 1110 systematically randomly sampled adult patients attending antiretroviral, hypertension, diabetes and tuberculosis services. RESULTS: Of 1110 respondents, 1096 responded to the patient satisfaction survey signifying a 98.8% response rate. Over 60% of respondents were women in both provinces. Over 90% of patients were satisfied with PHC services in both provinces. Factors associated with satisfaction in GP and FS were time spent waiting for consultation, nurses listened, being given information on condition and being treated politely. Having privacy respected came out as a significant factor in FS. CONCLUSIONS: High levels of satisfaction with PHC services were experienced by study participants in both provinces. Satisfied patients adhere to treatment plans and have better health-seeking behaviour, which translates to improved clinical outcomes. Therefore, nurses should continue listening, respecting and treating their patients with politeness, and also implement efficient work schedules to reduce patient waiting times.