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A A van Geldermalsen

Publications and source records attributed to A A van Geldermalsen.

7 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1995

Knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) relating to malaria in Mashonaland Central, Zimbabwe.

A survey among 888 inhabitants of Mashonaland Central reveals that malaria and its symptoms is generally well known. In the area with an altitude below 600 metres 26 pc of those interviewed and their relatives said they had suffered an attack of malaria in the last rainy season, while 6.7 pc of those in the higher areas claimed to have had malaria. The role of mosquitoes is less well known and 44 pc of the people were not really aware that mosquitoes transmit malaria. Less than half of the population knew of an effective protective or preventive means against malaria. Skin repellents as a preventive means were unknown and the understanding of residual spraying against malaria almost non-existent. Knowledge of malaria was less in the age groups over 50 and in the under 16 group. Knowledge of preventive measures against malaria was less in the higher incidence area.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

A diphtheria epidemic in Lesotho, 1989. Did vaccination increase the population's susceptibility?

We report a diphtheria outbreak which occurred in the 1st 6 months of 1989 in the Quthing district of Lesotho in Southern Africa. Sixty-eight clinical cases were identified in patients with ages ranging from 14 months to 51 years. The 10-15-year age group represented 38% of the cases and the 15-20-year age group another 26%. Age-adjusted incidence rates were higher in patients aged between 15 and 35 than in those aged 0-15 years (p < 0.001). The overall case fatality rate was 23%. Most deaths occurred in the age range 10-14 years, but the case fatality rate tended to be higher in the younger age groups. The epidemic raises the question of the influence of the ongoing vaccination programme, established since 1977, and the importance of naturally acquired immunity. It is suggested that the number of throat carriers, who in the absence of skin diphtheria would provide most of the population's immunity, decreases as an indirect consequence of vaccination, and that certain groups not immediately reached by vaccination become more susceptible to diphtheria. This outbreak also illustrates that a sporadic case of diphtheria in a partially immunized community warrants serious efforts to curb the spread of the disease.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

Interpersonal violence: patterns in a Basotho community.

This study was conducted to quantify the importance of trauma and death due to interpersonal violence in rural Lesotho and to gain an insight into the profile of the assault victims, the circumstances of the violent incidents and the type of weapons wielded and wounds inflicted. During a one-year period starting June 1988 information was recorded on all patients with assault trauma attending Quthing District Hospital. The annual incidence rate of assault on men between 20 and 49, the most affected age group, was estimated to be as high as 30 per 1000. The crude homicide rate could reliably be calculated as 44 per 100,000 per year. The male to female sex ratio amongst the 506 identified victims was 1.7:1. The assailants were male in 89% of the incidents; other men were their victim in 68% of these events. Only 26% of the consulting women suffered at the hands of their husband or partner. Over 55% of injuries (and deaths) inflicted by men were caused by beating with traditional sticks; 15% were due to stabbing. Women used stones, teeth or bare hands and feet equally frequently. The limited presence of firearms may have prevented higher death rates. It is suggested that the disruption of the social structure of the Basotho society through its dependence on migrant labour leads to weakened normative reference, the moral net, which is the underlying cause for the serious violence problem of the country.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

Assault, a burden for a rural hospital in Lesotho.

A retrospective study among adult inpatients revealed the prevalence and characteristics of assault trauma in a district hospital in Southern Lesotho. A comparison with non-assault trauma and non-trauma inpatients highlights the burden of this problem on the available resources. In one year 20.6% of all admissions of adult men were victims of purposely inflicted injuries while 11.4% were due to other (accidental) trauma. For women these figures were 5.8% and 10.3% respectively. Post mortem examination at the hospital allowed an estimation of the homicide rate of 40.9 per 100,000 in the catchment area of the hospital. The age group of 20 to 29 years constitute 40% of the assault patients. Knives and sticks cause most damage and the head receives the more serious blows in 67% of the cases. The group of assault victims needed considerably more care than other patients.

Adult↗