Thesis (MFamMed)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / INTRODUCTION: Access to health care, like childhood survival, often depends on where one lives. The infant mortality rate in rural South Africa (SA) is 52.6 per 1000 births, compared to 32.6 per 1000 births in urban areas. Furthermore, three of the four districts in SA with the highest HIV prevalence are rural. These being two commonly used health indicators, it is clear that rural populations have significantly poorer health outcomes than their urban counterparts. About half the world’s population live outside major urban centres, where health services and specialist medical services are concentrated. Rural SA are home to 43.6% of the population, but are served by only 12% of doctors and 19% of nurses. Of the 1200 medical students graduating in the country annually, only about 35 work in rural areas in the long term. There are 30 generalists and 30 specialists/100 000 people in urban areas, compared to an average of 13 generalists and two specialists/100 000 people in rural areas. The question arises whether the poorer access to particularly specialist services is a contributing factor towards poorer outcomes. Specialist outreach to rural communities is one way of improving access to care. In the Eden and Central-Karoo districts of the Western Cape of SA there are one level 2 (regional) hospital and ten level 1 (district) hospitals. All clinical disciplines reach out, with varying frequencies. On average, the four main district hospitals receive 17 specialist outreach visits per month; while the smaller district hospitals receive three specialist visits per month (Appendix 1). A typical outreach visit includes a problem ward round, outpatient session, theatre list for some surgical disciplines and formal/informal educational sessions. In principle, stakeholders agree that specialist outreach and support (O&S) to rural populations is necessary, as it improves access to specialized health care services. In practise however, there are factors that influence whether or not O&S reaches its goals. This in turn affects the sustainability of O&S projects. Understanding these factors would aid recommendations for a suitable model for O&S.

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Call number: LD2668 .T4 1985 R337 / Master of Science

published_or_final_version / Asian Studies / Master / Master of Philosophy

This was an original case study that aimed to locate South African post-apartheid rural land social movements within existing theoretical approaches. The land social movements organize around land rights and access for landless people and for those whose land rights are weak or threatened. The study analyzed conditions contributing to the emergence of land social movements in the post-apartheid South Africa and struggle methods they employ, using a case study of the Tenure Security Coordinating Committee in KwaZulu-Natal.

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by Hung Ho Fung. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1998. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 142-147). / Abstract also in Chinese. / Summary --- p.3 / Acknowledgements --- p.5 / Chapter Chapter 1 --- Thearadox of Rural Stability --- p.8 / Chapter Chapter 2 --- Literature on Collective Action --- p.20 / Chapter Chapter 3 --- Elite Intervention and Organization: Independent Variables in the Analysis of Ruralrotest Intensity --- p.36 / Chapter Chapter 4 --- Conceptual Framework for Case Analysis --- p.69 / Chapter Chapter 5 --- Extreme Cases --- p.73 / Chapter Chapter 6 --- intermediate Cases --- p.99 / Chapter Chapter 7 --- Discussion and Conclusion --- p.135 / References --- p.142

The social conditions in the rural areas of South Africa are by now widely known and numerous researchers have documented the poverty stricken quality of life which generally prevails amongst black families in these areas (Wilson and Ramphele, 1989). The vast majority of rural households have incomes which are below subsistence levels and in the Homelands, agricultural productive ability has become so eroded that rural household income is now chiefly derived from remittances from migrants in the towns or from the wages of farm labourers (Nattrass and May, 1986). As such, at present the majority of black rural households living in Region E make up consumer communities which must purchase the majority of their subsistence needs, rather than producer communities in which subsistence needs can be met from the utilisation of local resources (Derman and Poultney, 1983). Despite this unpromising situation, the diminishing importance of agricultural production to the South African national economy (Bethlehem, 1989), and the dominance of urbanisation as a social force, it can be argued that the rural areas of Region E will be directly and substantially affected by efforts to restructure the South African economy as a whole. Consequently, revitalising the rural economy in a restructured social and economic system would be a concern in itself, even though the effect of this for a future growth path for South Africa may be uncertain (Kaplinsky, 1991:54). The report will first examine the broad demographic changes in Region E noting the impact of these changes on the rural areas. Thereafter, the economic processes which characterise the rural areas will be discussed, in particular, employment, income levels and income distribution. This will feed into a discussion of the social processes which will include changing dynamics of migration, and a socio-economic profile of rural households. The paper concludes by briefly examining access and usage of basic services and facilities in the rural parts of Region E.

This Special Report attempts to capture, in a very readable journalistic style, the fundamental complexity of the conflict in the Weenen District. It is an honest attempt to look beyond the comfortable stereotypes. Hopefully, it will contribute to a clearer understanding of attitudes to land and the conflict around land. There are no easy solutions to this problem. But, hopefully, this report will assist in the process of finding workable solutions to land struggles in Weenen and other neglected parts of South Africa. / Special Report no. 8

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