PubMed Health⌕ Search

SEARCH · PubMed Health

Results for “SOUTH AFRICA”

Explore indexed PubMed citations for clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health research. Read source abstracts and follow each citation to its original PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 397 records · Page 22Linked to original sources
PubMed2006

Field data: distributions and costs of road-traffic fatalities in South Africa.

BACKGROUND: Road-traffic crashes and fatalities constitute major social and economic issues in South Africa. They are a major cause of morbidity and mortality comparable to HIV/AIDS, homicides, and some chronic diseases. METHODS: Road-traffic accident data for the year 2003 obtained from the Department of Transport, Pretoria, South Africa were used for this study. The valuation of the costs of road-traffic crashes and fatalities in South Africa is based on the gross output or human capital approach. RESULTS: 10,197 fatal road crashes and 12,353 fatalities were reported during the study period. More than 50% of the fatal road crashes and fatalities occurred in only three out of 11 provinces. The Northern Cape, which is the least populated province, had the highest fatal road crashes per 100,000 population and fatalities per 100,000 population. The number of road-traffic fatalities in the rural areas was 2.7 times that in the urban areas. The total costs of the road-traffic fatalities which was about R 8 billion (>US$ 1 billion) is about 0.6% of the country's nominal GDP for 2003. 60% of the cases and costs of road-traffic fatalities involved persons aged 20-39 years, although this age group is only 27% of the country's population. The rural areas accounted for 73% and the urban areas 27% of the total costs of fatal road-traffic crashes. CONCLUSION: Those living in the rural areas of the South African society and those aged 20-49 years constitute high-risk groups of road-traffic crashes and fatalities. They are also responsible for most of the attendant costs of fatal crashes and fatalities in the country.

Accidents, Traffic↗
PubMed2004

Alcohol use and sexual risks for HIV infection among men and women receiving sexually transmitted infection clinic services in Cape Town, South Africa.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the association of alcohol use and sexual risks for HIV infection in South Africa. METHOD: 149 men and 78 women receiving sexually transmitted infection (STI) clinic services in Cape Town, South Africa, completed measures of demographic characteristics, sexual behaviors, HIV risk reduction skills and substance use, including global measures (e.g., Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test [AUDIT]) and situational measures of alcohol use. RESULTS: 52% of men (n = 72) and 17% of women (n = 13) indicated problem drinking (AUDIT score > or = 9). Problem drinking was associated with greater numbers of sex partners in the past month, history of condom failures and lifetime history of having an STI, as well as lower rates of practicing risk reduction skills. In a separate analysis controlling for global use of alcohol indexed by AUDIT scores, we found that alcohol use in sexual contexts was associated with greater numbers of sex partners, higher rates of unprotected intercourse and condom failures. CONCLUSIONS: Findings from this initial study of alcohol use and sexual risks in South Africa parallel those from other countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Although limited to STI clinic patients, the results suggest that effective HIV risk reduction interventions will require attention to alcohol use, particularly among South Africans at highest risk for HIV infection.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Emergency medicine in the new South Africa.

A description of recent developments in emergency medicine and prehospital care in the new South Africa is detailed. As South Africa creates a new integrated health care system with equal access for all citizens, expansion of emergency care services to previously disadvantaged populations is occurring. To illustrate current disparities, a comparison of 2 regional systems of emergency medicine is included. The challenges involved and possible future directions in this effort are discussed.

Ambulances↗
PubMed2001

Occupational asthma as identified by the Surveillance of Work-related and Occupational Respiratory Diseases programme in South Africa.

BACKGROUND: The nationwide Surveillance of Work-related and Occupational Respiratory Diseases in South Africa, SORDSA, was established in 1996 to provide systematic information on occupational respiratory diseases. OBJECTIVE: SORDSA's objectives are to monitor the nature, extent and distribution of occupational respiratory diseases, and to increase awareness of their diagnosis and prevention. This paper describes the programme and results obtained for occupational asthma in the first 2 years, ending in October 1998. METHODS: SORDSA identifies newly diagnosed cases of occupational respiratory disease through voluntary reporting by pulmonologists, occupational medicine doctors and occupational health nurses. Initially, recruitment of the above health care providers was done through the membership infrastructure of their respective professional societies. Booklets with prescribed monthly reporting forms were distributed annually to all reporting members and a core of reporting providers was established through a proactive method of data collection. Information dissemination and reporting feedback takes place through quarterly newsletters and issue-specific brochures on certain hazardous agents. RESULTS: Over the initial 2-year period, 3285 cases of occupational respiratory disease were reported to SORDSA by 203 doctors and 97 occupational health nurses. After pneumoconiosis and associated respiratory conditions, occupational asthma was the second most commonly reported disease with 225 cases (6.9%). The average annual incidence for occupational asthma in South Africa was 13.1 per million employed people, with the highest incidence reported from the Western Cape province (37.6 per million). Latex was the most frequently reported agent for occupational asthma, followed by isocyanates and platinum salts. Low molecular weight agents accounted for 59.6% of the cases of occupational asthma. CONCLUSION: The results from this initial phase show that despite some limitations, SORDSA has the potential to obtain useful data on the industries, agents and occupations causing occupational asthma in South Africa.

Asthma↗
PubMed2003

Initial burden of disease estimates for South Africa, 2000.

BACKGROUND: This paper describes the first national burden of disease study for South Africa. The main focus is the burden due to premature mortality, i.e. years of life lost (YLLs). In addition, estimates of the burden contributed by morbidity, i.e. the years lived with disability (YLDs), are obtained to calculate disability-adjusted life years (DALYs); and the impact of AIDS on premature mortality in the year 2010 is assessed. METHOD: Owing to the rapid mortality transition and the lack of timely data, a modelling approach has been adopted. The total mortality for the year 2000 is estimated using a demographic and AIDS model. The non-AIDS cause-of-death profile is estimated using three sources of data: Statistics South Africa, the National Department of Home Affairs, and the National Injury Mortality Surveillance System. A ratio method is used to estimate the YLDs from the YLL estimates. RESULTS: The top single cause of mortality burden was HIV/AIDS followed by homicide, tuberculosis, road traffic accidents and diarrhoea. HIV/AIDS accounted for 38% of total YLLs, which is proportionately higher for females (47%) than for males (33%). Pre-transitional diseases, usually associated with poverty and underdevelopment, accounted for 25%, non-communicable diseases 21% and injuries 16% of YLLs. The DALY estimates highlight the fact that mortality alone underestimates the burden of disease, especially with regard to unintentional injuries, respiratory disease, and nervous system, mental and sense organ disorders. The impact of HIV/AIDS is expected to more than double the burden of premature mortality by the year 2010. CONCLUSION: This study has drawn together data from a range of sources to develop coherent estimates of premature mortality by cause. South Africa is experiencing a quadruple burden of disease comprising the pre-transitional diseases, the emerging chronic diseases, injuries, and HIV/AIDS. Unless interventions that reduce morbidity and delay morbidity become widely available, the burden due to HIV/AIDS can be expected to grow very rapidly in the next few years. An improved base of information is needed to assess the morbidity impact more accurately.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1996

Developing a plan for primary health care facilities in Soweto, South Africa. Part I: Guiding principles and methods.

The new political era in South Africa offers unique opportunities for the development of more equitable health care policies. However, resource constraints are likely to remain in the foreseeable future, and efficiency therefore remains an important concern. This article describes the guiding principles and methods used to develop a coherent and objective plan for comprehensive primary health care facilities in Soweto. The article begins with an overview of the context within which the research was undertaken. Problems associated with planning in transition are highlighted, and a participatory research approach is recommended as a solution to these problems. The article goes on to describe how the research methods were developed and applied in line with the principles of participatory research. The methods were essentially rapid appraisal techniques which included group discussions, detailed checklists, observation, record reviews and the adaptation of international and local guidelines for service planning. It is suggested that these methods could be applied to other urban areas in South Africa and elsewhere, and that they are particularly appropriate in periods of transition when careful facilitation of dialogue between stakeholders is required in tandem with the generation of rapid results for policy-makers.

Community Health Planning↗
PubMed2003

New species of Anthostomella on fynbos, with a key to the genus in South Africa.

A study of saprobic fungi occurring on the fynbos of the Western Cape Province of South Africa yielded four unknown Anthostomella species. A. proteae from Protea nitida, A. cynaroides from P. cynaroides, A. leucospermi from Leucospermum oleifolium, and A. brabeji from Brabejum stellatifolium are described as new. New records for South Africa include A. conorum from Leucadendron sp., Protea magnifica and P. neriifolia, and A. clypeata from Ischyrolepis subverticellata, Cannomois virgata, Restio egregius, and R. cfr confusus. A dichotomous key to the Anthostomella species in South Africa is also provided.

Ecosystem↗
PubMed2005

Improving survival rates of newborn infants in South Africa.

BACKGROUND: The number, rates and causes of early neonatal deaths in South Africa were not known. Neither had modifiable factors associated with these deaths been previously documented. An audit of live born infants who died in the first week of life in the public service could help in planning strategies to reduce the early neonatal mortality rate. METHODS: The number of live born infants weighing 1000 g or more, the number of these infants who die in the first week of life, the primary and final causes of these deaths, and the modifiable factors associated with them were collected over four years from 102 sites in South Africa as part of the Perinatal Problem Identification Programme. RESULTS: The rate of death in the first week of life for infants weighing 1000 g or more was unacceptably high (8.7/1000), especially in rural areas (10.42/1000). Intrapartum hypoxia and preterm delivery are the main causes of death. Common modifiable factors included inadequate staffing and facilities, poor care in labour, poor neonatal resuscitation and basic care, and difficulties for patients in accessing health care. CONCLUSION: Practical, affordable and effective steps can be taken to reduce the number of infants who die in the first week of life in South Africa. These could also be implemented in other under resourced countries.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2000

Ethics in the practice of psychiatry in South Africa.

OBJECTIVE: To determine attitudes with regard to ethics in the practice of psychiatry in South Africa. DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey. METHOD: The study utilised clinical vignettes, with gender and race of the patient as potential modifying variables in diagnosis and management. Open-ended questions pertaining to potential abuses were included. SETTING AND SUBJECTS: Questionnaires were mailed to all practising psychiatrists in South Africa in 1993 and 1994. OUTCOME MEASURES: Responses to questionnaire. RESULTS: A 40% response rate was obtained (N = 73). Patient race and gender did not influence diagnosis or have a marked impact on the prescription of treatment. Pressure from the patient's family on the psychiatrist did alter case management, as did the psychiatrist's age and gender in some instances. Racial discrimination, sexual misconduct and economic abuses were the most frequently cited areas of observed abuse. CONCLUSION: The development of an ethical framework for the practice of psychiatry in South Africa would appear to be of critical importance.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1982

Behavior therapy in South Africa: a review.

Behavior therapy in South Africa has, after strong beginnings, undergone a slump which seems largely due to the drain of leading behavior therapists from this country. During the last decade there has been evidence of a revival of this approach, due largely to the increasing place of behavior therapy in clinical training curricula. Questionnaire and interview data from universities and hospitals indicated that therapy training was "eclectic" in the sense that interns and registrars were expected to master the basics of several approaches; and this was reflected in clinical practice in that most therapists used behavior therapy in conjunction with other approaches. It was noted that relatively little research in behavior therapy was published by South Africans, but that this appeared to be increasing in the last few years. Cross-cultural issues were assuming increasing importance as psychotherapeutic services were increasingly extended to the indigenous African population of this country, and it was suggested that behavior therapy was an effective approach in this context when due consideration was given to the cultural beliefs and patterns of the particular patient.

Behavior Therapy↗
PubMed2005

Patient satisfaction with health care providers in South Africa: the influences of race and socioeconomic status.

OBJECTIVE: The first democratic government elected in South Africa in 1994 inherited huge inequalities in health status and health provision across all sections of the population. This study set out to assess, 4 years later, the influence of race and socioeconomic status (SES) on perceived quality of care from health care providers. DESIGN: A 1998 countrywide survey of 3820 households assessed many aspects of health care delivery, including levels of satisfaction with health care providers among different segments of South African society. RESULTS: Fifty-one percent (n = 1953) of the respondents had attended a primary care facility in the year preceding the interview and were retained in the analysis. Both race and SES were significant predictors of levels of satisfaction with the services of the health care provider, after adjusting for gender, age, and type of facility visited. White and high SES respondents were about 1.5 times more likely to report excellent service compared with Black and low SES respondents, respectively. CONCLUSION: In South Africa, race and SES are not synonymous and can no longer be considered reliable proxy indicators of one another. Each has distinct and significant but different degrees of association with client satisfaction. Any assessment of equity-driven health policy in South Africa should consider the impacts of both race and SES on client satisfaction as one of the indicators of success.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Race and pregnancy-related care in Brazil and South Africa.

This study examines women's use of pregnancy-related medical care in Brazil and South Africa, two multiracial societies with very different histories of race-related legislation that could affect medical care utilization. The analysis uses nationally representative household-level data to show that inequality in the distribution of socioeconomic resources across racial groups and differences in the sociodemographic conditions surrounding individual pregnancies explain much of the racial difference in women's use of prenatal and delivery care in both countries. Even if these characteristics and resources were equalized across women however, the results suggest that non-White South African women would still be less likely than Whites to initiate prenatal care in the first trimester or to have a doctor present at the time of delivery. The mechanisms through which race works to influence the use of care are examined, and the Brazilian and South African contexts are discussed. These findings suggest that although state-sanctioned racism may help to explain the greater racial inequality in stunting in South Africa than in Brazil, reducing the disadvantage for non-Whites in South Africa and Brazil will depend on reducing fundamental inequalities in the distribution of socioeconomic resources and medical services that characterize many nations.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Legal aspects of forensic psychiatry in South Africa.

The current political changes in South Africa have focused attention on matters such as the availability of medical and psychiatric services for all. These services have been stretched to breaking point due to waves of crimes of violence which seem to go in tandem with the process of democratization. These questions are discussed and some possible inadequacies of the forensic sciences in the criminal justice system are considered.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Threat to ethnic identity: the experience of White Afrikaans-speaking participants in postapartheid South Africa.

The dismantling of apartheid and the postapartheid dispensation had far-reaching implications for all the citizens of South Africa. In an urban sample of White Afrikaans-speaking South Africans (Afrikaners) in postapartheid South Africa, the authors investigated perceptions of threat to ethnic identity, as well as correlates of those perceptions. The respondents experienced threat on 2 levels: The 1st was distinctive continuity, the concern that their ethnic group would not continue as a distinctive group in society. The 2nd was the evaluative dimension of ethnic identity (i.e., well-being), the concern that group membership would no longer contribute to positive self-esteem. The respondents experienced greater threat on the 2nd level, reflecting predominantly negative experiences as White Afrikaans-speaking persons in postapartheid South Africa. A high threat perception on the 2nd level was associated with (a) a perception of other groups' negative evaluations of their ethnic group, (b) negative attitudes toward political changes, and (c) perceptions of illegitimacy and instability of the postapartheid political system. The respondents who felt that Afrikaners would not continue as a distinctive group in society had a more positive attitude toward the sociopolitical changes, did not show strong ethnic identification, and had a negative collective self-esteem. They were also politically more liberal. Those findings are discussed in relation to theoretical expectations.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

The problem of escalating resistance of Haemonchus contortus to the modern anthelmintics in South Africa.

During the past decade in South Africa there has been a continual increase in sheep of strains of gastrointestinal helminths resistant to the modern anthelmintics. Five strains of Haemonchus contortus are described in this paper. Despite the fact that 2 of the 5 strains were tested for susceptibility only to ivermectin, a total of 10 instances of resistance were found. Four of the 5 strains were resistant to ivermectin, 2 to closantel, 2 to rafoxanide and 2 to the benzimidazoles. One of these strains was concurrently resistant to 3 different anthelmintic groups, namely, the ivermectins, the benzimidazoles and the salicylanilides. Resistance to ivermectin developed in 2 strains of H. contortus after a history of only 3 treatments with this compound in one instance and 11 treatments in the other. In the latter case drenching with ivermectin was well interspersed with that of other anthelmintics. This rapid development of resistance suggests that there may be cross-resistance between ivermectin and another anthelmintic group. Two of the ivermectin resistant strains were recovered from separate properties in the south-western Cape Province, where Ostertagia circumcincta, which is usually the dominant parasite in this region, was virtually eliminated by the anthelmintic treatment. On each of these properties it was apparently replaced by a resistant strain of H. contortus. A serious threat to control is the dissemination of worm strains with multiple resistance to anthelmintics. The strain of H. contortus resistant to 3 anthelmintic groups has already been widely dispersed, as the farmer concerned suddenly decided to give up farming with sheep and to sell his flock.

Animals↗
PubMed1976

Concepts of mental illness amongst the rural Xhosa people in South Africa.

The rural Xhosa people of South Africa have retained social cohesion through traditional custom, purity of language and the dominant role of ancestor worship, traditional medicine and witchcraft in life-style, beliefs and ceremonies. Abstract concepts are limited and ego defence mechanisms include projection, displacement and rationalization but cognitive disturbances per se are not regarded as important. Major attention is paid to severe conative and affective disturbances, ascribed to object or spirit intrument by a traditional "witchdoctor". Therapy is community orientated as far as possible unless uncontrollable violent behaviour necessitates referral to a mental hospital.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Low-fat intake with falling fiber intake commensurate with rarity of noninfective bowel diseases in blacks in Soweto, Johannesburg, South Africa.

Among urban blacks in Johannesburg, South Africa, a measure of westernization of diet has occurred. Yet, the frequencies of most noninfective bowel diseases not only are low but also appear to have scarcely increased. To assess more adequately the current dietary pattern, a survey was undertaken. Results indicated a habitually low-fat intake, which supplied a mean of 24% of energy but also greatly decreased fiber intake (now about 14 g daily). Possibly, a meaningful rise in the incidence of bowel diseases requires, among other things, simultaneous rise in fat intake; alternatively, there are factors yet unknown in the dietary context of urban blacks (perhaps operating in their bowels) that are inhibiting rises in the diseases mentioned.

Adult↗