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Background: Epilepsy is a neurological disorder affecting millions of people in Africa. Among other reported findings, many people living with epilepsy (PLWE) believe that the condition is caused by spiritual factors. Previous studies have revealed that majority of PLWE are not receiving adequate care and treatment because of diverse cultural beliefs associated with epilepsy. Consequently, they consult either faith-based healers or traditional healers. Others, however, acknowledge the medical causes of epilepsy and seek developed medical treatment. Aim: To develop a culturally congruent care conceptual framework to provide comprehensive and holistic epilepsy care. Setting: This study was conducted in the selected rural communities of Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces. Methods: A qualitative multi-method research approach was employed and sub-divided into three phases. Phase 1: All 15 articles were reviewed and appraised using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) rating tool. Phase 2 involved two stages of empirical study in which an exploratory-descriptive study design was used. The study population comprised of 20 traditional healers, 15 faith-based healers, 20 professional nurses and 22 PLWE. Data were collected using in-depth individual interviews and analysed through eight Tesch’s steps of data analysis. Following data analysis, Phase 3 entailed synthesising the systematic and empirical findings into a conceptual framework. Results: Three themes that emerged from the findings were cultural epilepsy interventions, faith-based epilepsy intervention and medically developed epilepsy interventions. Conclusion: Incorporation of cultural beliefs, values and practices into the medically developed management of epilepsy is crucial for providing culturally congruent care that is preferred by majority of PLWE. Contribution: Healthcare providers may tailor care interventions that are culturally appropriate and acceptable hence promoting early diagnosis and treatment adherence leading to improved quality of life.

Background: Women in South Africa are battling the scourge of intimate partner violence (IPV), and men are usually responsible. Despite this, no studies have been carried out to specifically explore and describe Christian women’s IPV first-hand experiences in the Limpopo and Gauteng provinces. Aim: This study explored and described lived experiences with regard to IPV among women attending Pentecostal churches in Limpopo and Gauteng provinces. Setting: The study was conducted in the Makhado Local Municipality, City of Tshwane and Johannesburg metropolitan municipalities. Methods: The study utilised a qualitative research method, using interpretative phenomenological analysis. Sampling was purposeful. Semi-structured individual interviews were conducted to collect data among women attending Pentecostal churches in Limpopo and Gauteng provinces. Data saturation was achieved after 10 survivors were interviewed. Results: Two themes surfaced from the analysis: the experience of various forms of IPV by survivors and the hardships survivors encountered when seeking help after IPV. Conclusion: In spite of the salient role Christian belief played in survivors’ lives, the expected support from family, pastors and law enforcement officers after disclosing IPV was non-existent. The survivors were stranded, frustrated and displayed symptoms of depression and anxiety. Contribution: This study revealed survivors’ need for comprehensive, multidisciplinary, and transdisciplinary collaborative support by strengthening partnerships with church leaders to protect Christian women against IPV.

Background: There is a high prevalence of occupational exposure among health care practitioners (HCPs) around the globe. One of the risk factors of HIV infection among HCPs is occupational exposure to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection through blood or fluid from HIV-infected individual. Therefore, because of this prevalence, there is a need to have sufficient knowledge and information regarding post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP). Sufficient PEP knowledge assists individuals in utilising PEP in case of exposure to HIV. Aim: This study aims to assess the level of knowledge, attitude and adherence to PEP in HCPs in Southern Africa. Setting: The systematic review included studies conducted in Southern Africa. Methods: A systematic review was conducted. Search engines employed in this study included Google Scholar, Science Direct, PubMed, Ebscohost and JSTOR. From these, 3572 articles emerged after removing duplications, and article screening was guided by inclusion and exclusion criteria and outlined on a PRISMA flow chart. Ultimately, the study included 13 articles. A critical appraisal skills programme was applied for the quality assessment of the eligible studies. Results: Studies included in this review revealed that most participants have adequate knowledge regarding PEP (n = 6). However, it was revealed that poor adherence occured because most HCPs did not complete PEP. Conclusion: Health care practitioners have adequate knowledge of PEP with varying levels of adherence to PEP. Therefore, more awareness illustrating the importance of adhering to PEP is needed. Contribution: There is an adequate level of knowledge regarding PEP found in the included studies although not satisfactory in Southern Africa given the participants are HCPs, and marked inappropriate practices affect adherence.

Background: The increasing number of people testing human immunodeficiency virus positive and who demand antiretroviral therapy (ART) prompted the Department of Health to adopt World Health Organization’s task shifting where professional nurses (PNs) initiate ART rather than doctors. This resulted in decentralisation of services to primary healthcare (PHC), generating a need to capacitate PNs on nurse-initiated-management of ART (NIMART). The impact of NIMART was assessed and even though there was an increased number of patients on ART, the quality of care is of serious concern. Aim: The aim of this study was to explore and describe the challenges influencing NIMART training and implementation amongst PNs and programme managers. Setting: The study was conducted from the PHC facilities, in the rural districts of the North West province. Methods: An exploratory programme evaluation and contextual research design was used in the study. Purposive sampling was used. Focus group discussion (n = 28) and individual interviews were used to collect data. Data was analysed using ATLAS.ti software. Results: The results revealed two themes: inadequacy in NIMART training and the healthcare system challenges that influence NIMART training and implementation. Theme 1 included among others the lack of standardised curriculum and model or conceptual framework to strengthen NIMART training. And theme 2 included patient and district healthcare structural system. Conclusion: There a need to improve NIMART training and implementation through the standardisation of NIMART curriculum, introduction of pre-service NIMART training in institutions of higher learning, addressing staff shortages and negative attitude of PNs providing ART.

Background: The implementation of nurse-initiated management of antiretroviral therapy (NIMART) management training is a challenge in the primary health care (PHC). It is evident from the literature reviewed and the data obtained from the North West province that gaps still exist. There is no conceptual framework providing guidance to NIMART training and implementation. Aim: Therefore, the aim of this study was to develop a conceptual framework to strengthen NIMART training and implementation in the North West province to improve patients and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) programme outcomes. Setting: The study was conducted in the North West Province, South Africa. Methods: A pragmatic, explanatory, sequential, mixed-methods research design was followed. A descriptive and explorative programme evaluation design was used. Data were collected from two sources: antiretroviral therapy (ART) statistics from District Health Information System (DHIS) Tier.net of 10 PHC facilities to evaluate and determine the impact of NIMART on the HIV programme and five focus group discussions conducted amongst 28 NIMART nurses and three HIV programme managers to describe challenges influencing NIMART training and implementation. Results: The study revealed that there was low ART initiation compared to the number of clients who tested HIV-positive. There was poor monitoring of patients on ART, which was evident in the low viral load collection and suppression, high loss to follow-up and deaths related to HIV. Challenges exist and this was confirmed by the qualitative findings, including human resource ratios, training and mentoring and the entire absence of a conceptual framework or model that guides training and implementation. Conclusion: The study findings were conceptualised to describe and develop a framework needed to facilitate and influence NIMART training and implementation to improve the HIV programme and patient outcomes. Dickoff, James and Wiedenbach’s practice-oriented theory and Donabedian’s structure process outcomes model provided a starting point in the ultimate development of the framework. Although the study was limited to the North West province’s PHC clinics and community health centres and did not include hospitals, it is of high significance as there is no such conceptual framework in the province or in even South Africa.

The challenges of caring for people living with HIV (PLWH) in a low-resource setting has had a negative impact on the nursing profession, resulting in a shortage of skilled nurses. In response to this shortage and perceived negative impact, we conducted a descriptive, cross-sectional study to describe the level of knowledge and psychosocial wellbeing of nurses caring for PLWH at a regional hospital in Limpopo Province, South Africa. A total of 233 nurses, the majority being female, participated and were stratified into professional nurses (n = 108), enrolled nurses (n = 58) and enrolled nursing auxiliaries (n = 66). Data were collected using HIV/AIDS knowledge questionnaire, Maslach Burnout Inventory; AIDS Impact Scale and Beck's Depression Inventory. The total knowledge score obtained by all the participants ranged from 2 to 16, with an average of 12.93 (SD = 1.92) on HIV/AIDS knowledge. Depersonalization (D) (83.7%) and emotional exhaustion (EE) (53.2%) were reported among participating nurses caring for PLWH. Burnout was higher among professional nurses as compared to both enrolled nurses and enrolled nursing auxiliaries. There was a moderate negative significant correlation between HIV knowledge with the nurses' emotional exhaustion (r = −0.592), depression (r = −0.584) and stigma and discrimination (r = −0.637). A moderate to high level of burnout was evident among all levels of nurses. These findings lead to the recommendations for support of nurses caring for PLWH that include structured nursing educational support, organisational support with respect to employee wellness programmes that address depression and work burnout, as well as social support. The provision of these support mechanisms has the potential of creating a positive practice environment for nurses in the Vhembe District of the Limpopo Province in particular, and South Africa in general, and in improved care for PLWH.

Background: Gender-based violence is a challenge in South Africa, despite available interventions. Caring for the survivors of both forms of violence is critical for ensuring their speedy recovery. Objectives: To compare the effects of trauma on female survivors of sexual assault versus those experienced by survivors of physical assault by their intimate partners. Method: A quantitative cross-sectional comparative study design was used to compare 30 sexually-assaulted women and 30 physically-assaulted women regarding depressive symptoms, posttraumatic stress disorder and coping styles three months after the incident. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the survivors of both types of assault and the Beck Depression Inventory posttraumatic stress disorder checklist and Brief COPE Inventory were administered in order to obtain quantitative data. Both parametric and non-parametric statistics were employed. Ethical measures were adhered to throughout the research process. Results: A significantly-higher proportion of sexually-assaulted women disclosed the incident to family (p = 0.021). The majority of sexually- (90%) and physically- (86%) assaulted women were likely to recall the incident. Sexually-assaulted women had a significantly-higher mean for avoidance/numbness (p < 0.001) and physical-assaulted women in arousal (p > 0.051). About 41% of sexually-assaulted participants reported severe depression. Findings confirmed that sexual assault is more personal whilst physical assault is more interpersonal. If physically-assaulted women were removed from the perpetrators they recovered faster than sexually-assaulted women. Their stay with the perpetrators may perpetuate the violence. Conclusion: The need for counselling and support for the survivors of both traumas was recommended. All stakeholders should be educated to provide support to survivors of both traumas. Agtergrond: Ten spyte daarvan dat daar intervensies beskikbaar is, bly geslagsgebaseerde geweld ‘n uitdaging in Suid-Afrika. Die versorging van die oorlewendes geweld is van kritieke belang om die oorlewendes se spoedige herstel te verseker. Doelwitte: Die doel was om die gevolge van trauma op die vroulike slagoffers van seksuele aanranding te vergelyk met die trauma wat die oorlewendes van fisiese aanranding ervaar het. Metode: ‘n Kwantitatiewe dwarssnit ontwerp is gebruik om 30 seksueel aangerande vroue en 30 fisiek aangerande vroue te vergelyk sover dit depressiesimptome, posttroumatiese stresversteuring en coping styl betref drie maande na die voorval plaasgevind het. Semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude is gevoer met die oorlewendes van beide soorte aanvalle, terwyl die Beck depressie-inventaris, die kontrolelys vir posttroumatiese stresversteuring en die bondige COPE-inventaris afgeneem is om kwantitatiewe data te bekom. Sowel parametriese as nie-parametriese statistiek is gebruik. Etiese vereistes is regdeur die navorsingsproses nagekom. Resultate: ‘n Aansienlik hoër persentasie seksueel aangerande vrouens het hulle gesin oor die voorval ingelig (p = 0.021). Die meeste seksueel (90%) en fisiek (86%) aangerande vrouens het die voorval onthou. Seksueel aangerande vrouens toon ‘n aansienlik hoër gemiddelde vir vermyding of gevoelloosheid (p < 0.001) en fisiese aangerande vrouens het ‘n hoër gemiddelde vir opwekking (p > 0.051). Sowat 41% van die seksueel aangerande deelnemers meld erge depressie. Die studie bevestig dat seksuele aanranding persoonliker is, terwyl fisieke aanranding meer interpersoonlik is. As fisiek aangerand vroue van die oortreders verwyder word, herstel hulle vinniger as die seksueel aangerande vroue. As hulle by die oortreders bly, kan die geweld voortduur. Gevolgtrekking: Die noodsaak aan berading en ondersteuning vir beide groepe oorlewendes word aanbeveel. Alle belanghebbendes moet opgevoed word om ondersteuning aan oorlewendes te bied.