School of Public Health
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With some exceptions, our work focuses on five inter-related programme areas – HIV/AIDS, TB, maternal and child health, public health nutrition, and non- communicable diseases – and three health systems areas which cut across all programmes – namely human resource development, health information systems and health promotion
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Prevalence and correlates of reproductive coercion across ten sites: commonalities and divergence
(BMC, 2023)Background Reproductive coercion (RC) is a type of abuse where a partner asserts control over a woman’s reproductive health trajectories. Recent research emphasizes that RC experiences may differ within and across low- ... -
Maternity protection entitlements for non-standard workers in low-and-middle-income countries and potential implications for breastfeeding practices: a scoping review of research since 2000
(BMC, 2023)Background Recommended breastfeeding practices contribute to improved health of infants, young children, and mothers. Access to comprehensive maternity protection would enable working women to breastfeed for longer. Women ... -
Closing the HIV treatment gap for adolescents in Windhoek, Namibia: A retrospective analysis of predictors of viral non-suppression
(MDPI, 2022)Windhoek joined the Fast-Track Cities Initiative in 2017 to optimize HIV service delivery for adolescents, promoting adherence and sustaining viral suppression. Recent surveys and programmatic data show that the treatment ... -
Survival and health of children who are HIV-exposed uninfected: study protocol for the CHERISH (Children HIV-Exposed Uninfected - Research to Inform Survival and Health) dynamic, prospective, maternal-child cohort study
(BMJ, 2023)INTRODUCTION: CHERISH is designed to establish a long-term sustainable system for measurement of in utero and postnatal exposures and outcomes in children who are HIV-exposed uninfected (HEU) and HIV-unexposed to compare ... -
Infrastructure, policy and regulatory interventions to increase physical activity to prevent cardiovascular diseases and diabetes: A systematic review
(BMC, 2023)Noncommunicable diseases are major contributors to morbidity and mortality worldwide. Modifying the risk factors for these conditions, such as physical inactivity, is thus essential. Addressing the context or circum‑ stances ... -
Prevalence and factors associated with substance use among university students in South Africa: implications for prevention
(BMC Psychology, 2022)Background: Substance use is an important public health concern in many countries across the globe. Among the general public, institutions of higher learning have developed a reputation for inducing new substance use among ... -
Defining Terms Used for Animals Working in Support Roles for People with Support Needs
(MDPI, 2022)The nomenclature used to describe animals working in roles supporting people can be confusing. The same term may be used to describe different roles, or two terms may mean the same thing. This confusion is evident among ... -
The role of emergent champions in policy implementation for decentralised drug-resistant tuberculosis care in South Africa
(BMJ Publishing Group, 2022)Champions are recognised as important to driving organisational change in healthcare quality improvement initiatives in high-income settings. In low-income and middle-income countries with a high disease burden and ... -
Changes in rates of early exclusive breast feeding in South Africa from 2010 to 2013: Data from three national surveys before and during implementation of a change in national breastfeeding policy
(BMJ, 2019)Between 1998 and 2009 reported exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) rates in South African infants, aged 0–6 months, ranged from 6.2% to 25.7%. In 2011, the National Minister of Health shifted policy to promote ‘exclusive’ breast ... -
Determinants of effective organisational capacity training: Lessons from a training programme on health workforce development with participants from three African countries
(BMC, 2019)Health systems in sub-Saharan Africa face multifaceted capacity challenges to fulfil their mandates of service provision and governance of their resources. Four academic institutions in Africa implemented a World Health ... -
A guideline for the prevention and management of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder in South Africa
(BMC, 2019)Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is a public health problem globally, with South Africa having the highest recorded prevalence of all countries. Government programmes to prevent and manage FASD remain limited because ... -
An in vitro study on the combination effect of metformin and N-Acetyl cysteine against hyperglycaemia-Induced cardiac damage
(MDPI, 2019-11-21)Chronic hyperglycaemia is a major risk factor for diabetes-induced cardiovascular dysfunction. In a hyperglycaemic state, excess production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), coupled with decreased levels of glutathione, ... -
Methodological gaps and opportunities for studying multisectoral collaboration for health in low- and middle-income countries
(Oxford Academic, 2019)The current body of research into multisectoral collaborations (MSCs) for health raises more questions than it answers, both in terms of how to implement MSCs and how to study them. This article reflects on current ... -
Adapting the diabetes prevention program for low and middle-income countries: Protocol for a cluster randomised trial to evaluate lifestyle Africa
(BMJ, 2019)Low and middle-income countries like South Africa are experiencing major increases in burden of non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular conditions. However, evidence-based interventions to address ... -
Trends and predictors of mother-to-child transmission of HIV in an era of protocol changes: Findings from two large health facilities in North East Nigeria
(Plos One, 2019)Research studies have demonstrated a reduction in the risk of mother-to-child transmission of HIV (MTCT) to less than 2%, or 5% in non-breastfeeding and breastfeeding populations, respectively, with antiretroviral interventions. -
A retrospective study exploring how South African newspapers framed Schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders over an 11-year period (2004–2014)
(BMC, 2022)Background: The way schizophrenia is portrayed in the media contributes to the dissemination of misinformation about the symptoms, causes, and treatment of mental disorders and has the potential to perpetuate or mitigate the ... -
Measuring mental wellness among adolescents living with a physical chronic condition: a systematic review of the mental health and mental well-being instruments
(BMC Psychology, 2021-11-08)Globally, promoting mental health and well-being among adolescents has become a public health priority, especially for adolescents living with a physical chronic condition (CC), as research suggests they may be more at ... -
Utility of telemedicine in sub-Saharan Africa during the COVID-19 pandemic. A rapid review
(Wiley, 2021-10-01)Telemedicine is the use of technology to achieve remote care. This review looks at the utility of telemedicine during the pandemic, period March 2020 to February 2021. Eleven articles met inclusion criteria. There was ... -
Refining interventions through formative research: a focus on ethical considerations in a family-based home-based counselling and testing (fbct) intervention in KwaZulu-Natal
(Journal of Empirical Research on Human Research Ethics, 2020)Conducting formative research is a scientific, ethical, and community engagement imperative. This article describes how formative research refined ethical processes for a family-based home-based counseling and testing ... -
Social Protection in a Time of Covid
(The Black Sash, 2021)The Covid-19 Social Relief of distress Grant (Covid-19 SRD) was introduced in South Africa in May 2020 to mitigate the devastating effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. It provided for people between 18 and 59 years of age, ...