ABSTRACT Childhood immunisation is a cost-effective public health strategy. Immunisation is one of the most important preventive health actions in children’s lives as it provides protection against most infectious diseases. In Namibia, the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) has been instituted in 1990 to ensure that the immunisation of children takes place within the prescribed age frame. However, there is still room for improving the EPI, particularly as regards measles immunisation....
ABSTRACT Adolescents are sensitive people who can easily get derailed by a number of challenges which can sometimes lead to detrimental results if they are not taken care of appropriately. Despite the existence of the National Standards for Adolescent Friendly Health Services which is supposed to assist in reducing teenage pregnancy, disturbing figures of adolescents getting pregnant continue to rise. This study aimed at assessing the implementation of the Adolescent Active Participation, Ado...
ABSTRACT This study was conducted during the month of May 2006 in the informal settlements of Windhoek, Namibia. The aim of the study was to describe the prevalence of malnutrition among children between the ages of one and five years and to correlate possible causes, and other factors, with nutritional status. A cross-sectional descriptive study design was chosen. The sample was comprised of 350 respondents, mothers or caregivers of children between one and five years, residing in the non-fo...
ABSTRACT Emerging multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR/XDR-TB) has become a major public health concern, placing millions at risk. Moreover, nosocomial transmission of MDR/XDR-TB places both patients and healthcare workers at an even higher risk. For these reason health facilities in high-risk settings need to implement effective tuberculosis (TB) infection prevention and control (IPC) policies/guidelines. Several studies elsewhere demonstrated that organizational processes and employee skil...
Abstact Malaria, the disease, is a clinical diagnosis that is caused by Plasmodium parasites and is spread through the bites by infected female Anopheles mosquitoes. Malaria is a health concern in temperate tropical areas, but a scale up of control interventions resulted in reduction and elimination of the disease in developed countries. In 2010 Namibia adopted a strategy to eliminate malaria within its borders by the year 2020 as a result of the reduction in malaria cases. However, as malari...
Abstract Action research (AR) can be an effective form of ‘on the job’ training. However, it is critical that AR cycles can be appropriately recorded in order to contribute to reflection and learning. One form of recording is for coresearchers to keep a diary.We found no previous literature describing the use of diaries in AR in sub-Saharan Africa. We therefore use this paper to reflect on how diaries were used by district health management teams in the PERFORM project. We share five less...
ABSTRACT The Ministry of Health and Social Services (MOHSS) has launched a comprehensive programme for the prevention of mother to child transmission (PMTCT) in March 2002. This programme was introduced for the prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission in Namibia using Nevirapine (an Antiretroviral drug). The programme was initiated at two pilot sites i.e. Katutura State Hospital Antenatal Clinic (KSH-ANC) and Oshakati State Hospital. This programme was aiming to reach 500 HIV positive w...
ABSTRACT Background There has been a gap in the diagnosis of drug-resistant tuberculosis, hence a new rapid diagnostic test; the gene Xpert was introduced by the World Health Organization in 2010. The objective of this study was to identify factors that affect the utilization of the gene Xpert intervention in the Greater Accra Region. Methods This was a mixed-methods study. A qualitative approach was used to provide empirical explanations for the findings of the quantitative component which ...
ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Age at menarche is an important indicator of sexual maturity in females. It is known to be modified by both genetic and environmental factors. Downward trends in menarche have been recorded in many countries.. In Ghana, a cross-sectional study has been done about two decades ago that determined the age at menarche among school girls in Kumasi. The determinants of age at menarche onset in the Ghanaian population are unknown. OBJECTIVE: This study was done to determine the...
ABSTRACT In Namibia, the Widal test (a blood test that detects level of Salmonella antibodies) is widely used in the diagnosis of typhoid fever. There are no available normal population baseline Salmonella agglutinins titres in Namibia which can be used to come up with country specific diagnostic titres for typhoid fever. The normal population baseline Salmonella agglutinin titre is used as the basis for the interpretation of the Widal test. Since there is no guide, it means that standardizat...
ABSTRACT Introduction: Informal sector recycling of e-waste could lead to release of various toxic substances; including the oxides of heavy metals into the ambient environment and therefore contributes significantly to environmental pollution. Objectives: The aim of the study was to analyze heavy metals concentration levels in bird feathers and eggs and earthworm found at the Agbogbloshie e-waste dumpsite. Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted at the Agbogbloshie e-waste site near ...
ABSTRACT This study was set out to identify the knowledge, attitude and perception of health workers about EVD. It also explored the level of preparedness and work habits in dealing with EVD. The study utilised qualitative research method design and it involved purposely selected Medical Doctors, Physician Assistant, Midwives, General Nurses, Orderlies and Mortuary Attendants as study participants. Following the analysis of the qualitative information from participants, the study found that ...
Abstract Ensuring that patients in chronic care and treatment such as tuberculosis adhere to medications has implications for their quality of life, health care costs and society at large. The purpose of this study was to assess and describe the knowledge, attitudes and practices of patients diagnosed with tuberculosis (TB) related to their treatments in Keetmanshoop district in //Karas region, Namibia. A quantitative, cross sectional study was done among 76 patients who were receiving their ...
ABSTRACT The neonatal mortality rate is the most essential indicator of obstetric care as well as overall socio-economic development in any given country. It is also a sensitive indicator of the impact of programme intervention and for monitoring changes in quality care (MOHSS, 1996: 2). The Health Information System (HIS) at Katima Mulilo State Hospital reported an increase in neonatal deaths of 8/1000 live births (0,8%) in 2001 to 39/1000 live births (3,9%)in 2002. Based on this problem, fa...
ABSTRACT Background and objective As population ageing, urbanization and epidemiological changes accelerates across the world, the prevalence of caregiving by the elderly is bound to increase. This situation in which the elderly give care to others has been found in various settings to have adverse effects on the elderly’s well-being. However, there is a paucity of evidence confirming the existence of such negative effects among the elderly in Ghana who give care, especially as it impacts...