ABSTRACT Upper Respiratory Tract Infections (URTIs) are viral in 80% of the cases (Mazur, 2010) but antibiotic prescribing in these illnesses still remains a problem in many places, where about 60% of patients with URTIs receive antibiotics inappropriately (WHO, 2010).This makes URTIs important targets for strategies aimed at reducing irrational antibiotic use because irrational use of antibiotics leads to the emergence and spread of bacterial resistance, which is a growing global public heal...
ABSTRACT In recent years there has been an increase in the incidence of pregnancies in HIV positive women, which increases the risk of mother to child transmission (MTCT) of HIV. However, once HIV positive women become aware of their s ero status, many demonstrate a reduced desire for pregnancy, particularly because most of them know that there are risks involved in delivering an HIV positive child. Others, on the other hand, want to have children despite their HIV positive status. Accor ding...
ABSTRACT Primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) is the major cause of irreversible blindness worldwide among black people. Early detection and treatment can prevent blindness, a consequence of glaucoma. Individuals need to be aware of glaucoma and seek assessment regularly for early detection and diagnosis of the disease. Awareness of glaucoma has not been previously documented in a Namibian setting. The aim of this study was to explore and describe the awareness of glaucoma that clients have who...
ABSTRACT The effects of hypertension are cumulative with regard to its negative influence on the organ system in the body. Equipped with the right knowledge, a person can either prevent or slow down these cumulative effects or adapt to the changing life styles. An afflicted person can adapt to his/her condition and make certain life style changes which must be maintained permanently. A person’s success in adhering to the necessary adjustments will depend to a certain extent on how he or she...
Abstract The impacts of teenage pregnancy, HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections among the youth such as dropout from school, long term effects and death is felt by most people worldwide. As a result of this, teenagers are in need of information regarding sexuality and safer sex to enable them to protect themselves against HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections and to prevent unintended pregnancies. The purpose of this study was to explore and describe knowledge, atti...
ABSTRACT Adolescent motherhood is presented in the literature as today’s challenge both nationally and internationally. The World Health Organization (2007) also indicated the encountered problem on adolescent motherhood world-wide. Many countries documented the vicious sequence of early motherhood such as poverty and poor education. Accordingly, adolescent motherhood is regarded as a social health concern owing to its socioeconomic consequences, which affect the young mothers, their babies...
ABSTRACT Food safety is a key component of food security as food can only be considered to exist, if it is safe for human consumption. Food handlers play a massive role in food safety, it is for this purpose we conducted a study to determine knowledge, attitudes and practices of food safety among food handlers in Opuwo District. An analytical cross sectional study was conducted, using a multi-staged probability sampling method. A total of 137 food handlers participated in the study from 24 ki...
ABSTRACT Prematurity has become a major global cause of death in neonates. The number of preterm babies has increased significantly in the past ten to fifteen years, creating a public health crisis in the financial and social fraternities. While prematurity has become a public health crisis, delivering and caring for a preterm baby also affects the emotional and social well-being of the mothers who delivered preterm babies. Most preterm infants are born ill, or have difficulties in adapting t...
ABSTRACT This research study aimed at exploring and describing psychosocial experiences of adolescents diagnosed with cancer. A cancer diagnosis is known to be a life-altering experience which disrupts normal development. Often, adolescents bring to the cancer experience a different dimension of psychosocial circumstances because of their developmental life stage. This research study employed an exploratory qualitative research design to explore the psychosocial effects of a cancer diagnosis ...
ABSTRACT HIV Testing and Counseling (HTC) remains an important entry to HIV Prevention, treatment, care and support services. According to the Namibian 2013 Demographic Health Survey (DHS), HTC services among 15-49 year old showed a marked increase, with 79% females and 61% males ever tested against the 2006/7 DHS results with 51% and 32% among females and males respectively. However although testing rates have increased the 2015 WHO HIV Testing Services (HTS) Consolidated Guideline indicates...
ABSTRACT Tuberculosis is a preventable and curable disease. In spite of this, globally it is the main cause of human suffering and death through infection. The World Health Organization has set the following targets for global tuberculosis control: a case detection rate of 70%, and treatment success rate of 85%. The Khomas region has attained only 52% treatment success rate, which is significantly below the global target. A better understanding of TB patients’ knowledge, beliefs and practic...
ABSTRACT During the previous dispensation, health services were fragmented along ethnic lines and were curatively biased. To redress the above situation, the Ministry of Health and Social Services embarked on a health sector reform. Out of the previous four health directorates thirteen health regions were established to bring decision making and development to the people. The eight original directorates at the central level merged into five key functional units. The reform process in the heal...
ABSTRACT Employment in education has been found to be one of the most stressful career paths around the world, with some of the highest burnout rates. The field of Positive Psychology have started to research this career path, because quality education is a powerful tool in ensuring economic, democratic and social development of nations. The National Association of Namibian Teachers Union (NANTU) states that many of the country’s educators want to leave the profession because of high job de...
ABSTRACT Tuberculosis (TB) is a leading cause of mortality globally, leading to an annual death rate of 1.8 million. In 2017, over 700 people died from TB in Namibia. Moreover, despite the scale-up of high-quality Directly Observed Treatment Short Course strategy (DOTS) to control TB in Namibia, treatment success rates (TSR) fall short of the global target of 90%. Unsuccessful treatment outcomes are a risk drug resistant TB. Consequently, the study aimed to model the population, patient and d...
ABSTRACT Despite guidelines on essential and obstetric emergency care devised by the Ministry of Health and Social Services to address obstetric and neonatal related challenges in Namibia, the report on perinatal and neonatal death review of April 2010 - March 2012, indicated that birth asphyxia is in first position contributing 49.4 % to neonatal deaths. This reflects the severity of asphyxia as a public health concern in Namibia (MoHSS, 2014). The aim of the study was to assess the manageme...