The scourge of HIV and AIDS can no longer be underestimated. Its devastating effects have been translated into immeasurable monetary and human costs. Women and children, particularly among the rural communities, have borne most of the brunt accruing from the devastating socio-economic consequences of the disease. PURPOSE This study is intended to highlight the plight of rural communities who are constantly besieged by the demand and supply disequilibrium in the provision of primary health care and preventive interventions. OBJECTIVES To describe, compare and analyse HIV / AIDS health care services provided by fixed and mobile clinics in the Madibeng Sub-District of the North West Province. POPULATION The sampled participants were selected from a universal population among pregnant women. SAMPLING A sample of 100 pregnant women from the fixed and mobile clinics participated in answering the questionnaires during their antenatal care visits. RESEARCH SETTING The Madibeng Sub-District in the North West Province been selected as a suitable research site, as it met most of the selection criteria developed by the researcher's judgement sampling. RESEARCH DESIGN The data recorded on the questionnaires by the participants was used to compare and analyse the pregnant women's feelings about HIV / AIDS services of fixed and mobile clinics. Group discussions were also held prior self completion of questionnaires. Questionnaires were administered by the researcher and the two health promoters. FINDINGS It was found that participants in both mobile and fixed clinic have attended HIV / AIDS health care services. Fixed clinic and mobile clinic are respectively viewed as offering better health care services to pregnant women. CONCLUSIONS The research results from this study indicate that HIV / AIDS services provided at both the fixed clinic and mobile service points, including antenatal or prenatal care, are almost similar. RECOMMENDATIONS It is recommended for improving HIV / AIDS health care services that health care providers at Jericho mobile clinic and Jericho fixed clinic intervene by slowing the progression of HIV infection because it has a negative impact on the lives of women. The Jericho clinic and mobile clinic staff should be encouraged to adopt the perspective that HIV / AIDS is not a death sentence, but a preventable disease, not withstanding its deadly consequences on families and communities. The staff at these clinics is also to be motivated to adopt co-operative health care and psycho-social strategies, in which team work and the involvement and participation of all relevant stakeholders is viewed as an integral part of the struggle against HIV / AIDS and its devastating spread. / Health Studies / M.A. (Health Studies)

This research is undertaken in Vhembe region in Limpopo Province. Many researchers, on the subject of ‘parent involvement’, have conducted in-depth research; this means parental involvement is not a new term. According to St John and Griffith (1997:48-52), there are important benefits that teachers, learners and parents derive from parents’ participation in school programmes and activities such as healthy communication, generation of interest and building positive self-esteem and confidence, to mention but a few while their children attending school during pre-primary, primary and secondary level. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether parents in Vhembe District involved themselves in the education of their children. The population of a study included three schools in Vhembe, six parents from each sampled schools, six teachers from sampled schools and each principal from sampled schools. The purposeful sampling technique was used to select the participants. The findings are briefly that: -Few parents indicated their appreciation of parental involvement by suggesting ways in which they could become involved, it was clear that a developmental programme should be introduced to motivate parental involvement; -It also came to the attention of the researcher that most of the parents did not attend school meetings because of lack of proper communication; -Parents were silent about the monitoring and supervision of their children’s work while they are at home, which can result in better academic performance. Parents should have high expectations for their children’s future and academic achievement. -It emerged from the interviews that many factors present barriers to parental involvement; like parents’ limited education, economic status, lack of a school policy, poor communication and teachers’ attitude towards parents. Recommendations -From the conclusions drawn above, it is recommended that parental involvement workshops be organised for school managers, school teachers and parents. -To improve parents’ attendance of school meetings, teachers should provide them with an opportunity to communicate their expectations and concerns. -In relation to parents’ role in their children’s education, parents should be motivated to ensure that their children accomplish their goals. -Parents should be empowered with skills of self-confidence, so that they will realise that their children have potential. -Schools should encourage parents to play an important role as partners in their children’s education. / Educational Leadership and Management / M. Ed. (Educational Management)

The aim of this study was to describe mothers’ knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding malaria in children under five years old. A descriptive cross-sectional study design was used. A structured questionnaire was administered by face-to-face interviews during data collection. The study population of this research composed of mothers of children under five years old suffering from malaria in Thyolo district. Economic-demographic characteristics that were significantly associated with mothers’ knowledge were age (p=0.018), formal education (p=0.001), income (p=0.005), and type of a house (p=0.002). Sources of malaria information that were significantly associated with mothers’ knowledge included television (p=0.004), radio (p=o.005), and posters (p=o.00019). Treatment-seeking behaviour was significantly associated with education (p=0.017). Treatment prior to hospitalisation was significantly associated with mothers’ education (p=0.0001), number of children that passed away (p=0.015), distance to the health facility (p=0.013), lack of money (p=0.019), and time taken at the hospital to get treatment (p=0.016). Recommendations were made to improve mothers’ malaria knowledge for further research / Health Studies / M.A. (Public Health)

At independence and in the post-colonial era most countries embarked on a series of land reform, land redistribution and land restitution with some adopting the land tenure system. This study sought to assess the environmental impacts associated with the land reform in resettlement wards of Matobo District in Zimbabwe. The study adopted both social impact assessment approaches and the environmental assessments. The findings revealed farreaching repercussions resulting from activities associated with land reform in Matobo District which altered the physical landscape. The program is accompanied by inter alia excessive poaching, unsustainable agricultural practises, reduced farm production and ecosystem degradation. Therefore, urgent sustainable measures are recommended to be implemented from this study in order to avoid further environmental damage. / Environmental Management / M. Sc. (Environmental Management)

No description available.

Community participation has been hailed as the panacea for most community programmes. Community participation at high levels empowers communities, increases self-reliance, selfawareness and confidence in self-examination of problems and seeking solutions for them Behavioural changes are promoted and utilisation and support of services is facilitated, which is of great importance in antenatal care and generally in this present day of HIV/AIDS. The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which women were participating in the provision of antenatal care. Secondly, the study sought the pregnant women's perceptions and expectations regarding their participation in the provision of antenatal care and to find out at what level if any, the women wanted to be involved in the provision of antenatal care. The theoretical model guiding this study was Rifkin' s model for evaluating community participation. A guided interview was conducted with 30 conveniently selected pregnant mothers residing in the area of the Chinamhora clinic. The results indicated limited participation in the five process indicators of community participation. However, all the women regarded community participation as being important. The majority of the women wished to be involved at high levels of participation. The results of this study should be valuable to health care professionais in formulating strategies and modifying existing programmes to enhance community participation, with the decentralisation of health services in Zimbabwe. / Health Studies / M.A. (Advanced Nursing Sciences)

The aim of this research was to explore the challenges faced by women providing home-based care to those infected and affected by HIV and AIDS. The specific objectives of the study were to explore the gender-related, sociocultural and socioeconomic challenges faced by these women; and to investigate best practices in home- based care. An exploration of the challenges women experience in their communities as they provide care for the HIV and AIDS infected and affected is located within a gender and power framework. Feminist theories are also used to try and explain the reasons behind the differences and inequalities that exist in the community, particularly as regards the women who provide home-based care. A qualitative study, which used both qualitative and participatory methods of data gathering, was undertaken in 2014 in Mzimba, Malawi. Data was collected from 26 women participants by means of Critical Incident Narrative interviews (5), Individual In-Depth Interviews (5), and two Focus Group Discussions (6 and 10 participants respectively). Three Key Informant Interviews were conducted with a Ministry of Local Government official, another with a Nursing sister at the Mzimba District Hospital Tuberculosis Ward, and the Mzimba District Hospital Home-based care Coordinator. Purposive and snowballing sampling techniques were used to recruit the research participants. A topic guide was used in critical incident narrative interviews. An interview schedule consisting open-ended questions and face interviews were used for the Individual In-depth Interviews. A topic guide was used for the Focus Group Discussions. All the data collection instruments were guided by the themes of social, economic, cultural, psychological challenges; food security, and coping mechanisms. An interview schedule consisting of open-ended questions were used for the Key Informant Interviews. A Check List of WHO minimum package for home-based care programmes was used to assess the actual program best practices. The methodology of this study was guided by the WHO framework on home-based care. In this framework, the home-based care programme includes the following elements which make up the minimum package of care: provision of care, continuum of care, education, supplies and equipment, staffing, finance and sustainability, and monitoring and evaluation. Very few studies have been concluded to understand the sociological issues that affect women who provide care to the HIV and AIDS infected and affected in households and communities. It is hoped that this study will in some way address this gap, and that the information and recommendations contained in this thesis will guide policy recommendations in Malawi that will incorporate the lived experiences of those who provide this care. The study revealed that women providing home-based care to the HIV and AIDS infected and affected experience harsh challenges. Women carry the burden of care as traditionally men do not provide care. Women experience extreme deprivation which manifests itself through a number of socio-economic difficulties and these include been shown in their inability to provide for their basic necessities such as food, and other household needs. For most of the women carers, the deprivation is a direct consequence of their low levels of education which rendered them unable to find employment of engage in successful business ownership. The women carers also lack social security in the sense that they do not have access to land for example which could ensure that they have some level of food security. When the main income earner died the women carers and their dependants were left to fend for themselves. Women carers also experienced various psychological problems and these included nightmares, insomnia, depression and these affected their physical health such a few reported lack of appetite for food as a major issue. Women carers and in particular the young women reported that they had to elements which make up the minimum package of care: provision of care, continuum of care, education, supplies and equipment, staffing, finance and sustainability, and monitoring and evaluation. Very few studies have been concluded to understand the sociological issues that affect women who provide care to the HIV and AIDS infected and affected in households and communities. It is hoped that this study will in some way address this gap, and that the information and recommendations contained in this thesis will guide policy recommendations in Malawi that will incorporate the lived experiences of those who provide this care. The study revealed that women providing home-based care to the HIV and AIDS infected and affected experience harsh challenges. Women carry the burden of care as traditionally men do not provide care. Women experience extreme deprivation which manifests itself through a number of socio-economic difficulties and these include been shown in their inability to provide for their basic necessities such as food, and other household needs. For most of the women carers, the deprivation is a direct consequence of their low levels of education which rendered them unable to find employment of engage in successful business ownership. The women carers also lack social security in the sense that they do not have access to land for example which could ensure that they have some level of food security. When the main income earner died the women carers and their dependants were left to fend for themselves. Women carers also experienced various psychological problems and these included nightmares, insomnia, depression and these affected their physical health such a few reported lack of appetite for food as a major issue. Women carers and in particular the young women reported that they had to drop of school to marry when their parents or guardians died. The other dimension to this issue was that the older women carers reported that during their young years, it was common place to find girls who did not attend school or were pressurised to get married because their parents did not believe in educating girls. The background is currently affecting the women carers as they find that they cannot get involved in profitable business or even look for employment. They lack the basic literacy levels that would allow them to be become more productive and ensure financial security. Women carers experienced a number of gender related challenges as they provided care and these included the burden of care being almost solely borne by the women. Women revealed that they have had to use various coping strategies in the face of the overwhelming challenges that they continue to experience. Elderly women have found ways to cope by selling the property such as land and household goods, conducting small scale informal business, and sending the children away to relatives to be fostered. The young women on the other hand have sometimes reverted to some dangerous strategies for coping such as getting a boyfriend to provide for their financial needs, engaged in transactional sex, and some got married very early. The other coping strategies that the young women employed were to conduct small businesses, depended on family and relatives to provide for their various needs. The women volunteers revealed that they used their group as a therapy group, they shared the work, and that they were involved in small scale businesses. The study has also revealed that there is a home-based care programme that is functioning fairly well. However, there are indications that as much as the various players are trying to assist those who are infected and affected by HIV and AIDS, there are severe gaps in the effectiveness of the programme. There is need for a review of the programme so that it answers to the needs of those who are caring for those who are on home-based care i.e. a more rigorous implementation of HBC programme is required. The overall findings of the study indicate that the poverty trap in which the women are caught impacts on every aspect of their existence, with little hope of them ever improving their conditions. There is need for the Malawi government to come up with strategic interventions that would alleviate of women in general but in particular those who are left to provide care at home. Such interventions could include poverty alleviation strategies for women who are providing care to ensure that their situation does not deteriorate once they begin to provide care. Since Malawi is a signatory to the UN Millennium Development Goals, it is important that the plight of women is revisited and find lasting solutions to the challenges that they experience. Women are still lagging behind in education for example. There is need to improve girls and women access to education. The health of women has been affected by HIV and AIDS. The Government of Malawi also needs to review the policies that are in place which address women’s health. Essentially the status of women is need of a major change in order for the country to achieve some level of development which is at par with other countries in the sub-Saharan African region. / Sociology / D. Phil. (Sociology)

The proposition that inadequate health literacy on antenatal care (ANC) is exacerbating maternal mortality in sub Saharan Africa (SSA) is undisputable. Yet, little is known about ANC literacy in Lesotho, an SSA country with high maternal mortality rates. This cross-sectional study explored the levels of ANC literacy and the associated factors in 451 purposively sampled women in two districts using a semi-structured questionnaire making recourse to statistical principles. Overall, 16.4% of the participants had grossly inadequate ANC literacy, while 79.8% had marginal levels. Geographic location and level of education were the most significant predictors of ANC literacy. Participants had the lowest scores on knowledge of danger signs in pregnancy and true signs of labour. Furthermore, significant knowledge gaps on baby layette and mother’s essential items for delivery were found. Adequate ANC literacy is critical to reducing maternal mortality in Lesotho. Improving access to ANC education, particularly in rural areas is recommended. / Health Studies / M.A. (Nursing Science)

Community participation has been hailed as the panacea for most community programmes. Community participation at high levels empowers communities, increases self-reliance, selfawareness and confidence in self-examination of problems and seeking solutions for them Behavioural changes are promoted and utilisation and support of services is facilitated, which is of great importance in antenatal care and generally in this present day of HIV/AIDS. The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which women were participating in the provision of antenatal care. Secondly, the study sought the pregnant women's perceptions and expectations regarding their participation in the provision of antenatal care and to find out at what level if any, the women wanted to be involved in the provision of antenatal care. The theoretical model guiding this study was Rifkin' s model for evaluating community participation. A guided interview was conducted with 30 conveniently selected pregnant mothers residing in the area of the Chinamhora clinic. The results indicated limited participation in the five process indicators of community participation. However, all the women regarded community participation as being important. The majority of the women wished to be involved at high levels of participation. The results of this study should be valuable to health care professionais in formulating strategies and modifying existing programmes to enhance community participation, with the decentralisation of health services in Zimbabwe. / Health Studies / M.A. (Advanced Nursing Sciences)

The aim of this research was to explore the challenges faced by women providing home-based care to those infected and affected by HIV and AIDS. The specific objectives of the study were to explore the gender-related, sociocultural and socioeconomic challenges faced by these women; and to investigate best practices in home- based care. An exploration of the challenges women experience in their communities as they provide care for the HIV and AIDS infected and affected is located within a gender and power framework. Feminist theories are also used to try and explain the reasons behind the differences and inequalities that exist in the community, particularly as regards the women who provide home-based care. A qualitative study, which used both qualitative and participatory methods of data gathering, was undertaken in 2014 in Mzimba, Malawi. Data was collected from 26 women participants by means of Critical Incident Narrative interviews (5), Individual In-Depth Interviews (5), and two Focus Group Discussions (6 and 10 participants respectively). Three Key Informant Interviews were conducted with a Ministry of Local Government official, another with a Nursing sister at the Mzimba District Hospital Tuberculosis Ward, and the Mzimba District Hospital Home-based care Coordinator. Purposive and snowballing sampling techniques were used to recruit the research participants. A topic guide was used in critical incident narrative interviews. An interview schedule consisting open-ended questions and face interviews were used for the Individual In-depth Interviews. A topic guide was used for the Focus Group Discussions. All the data collection instruments were guided by the themes of social, economic, cultural, psychological challenges; food security, and coping mechanisms. An interview schedule consisting of open-ended questions were used for the Key Informant Interviews. A Check List of WHO minimum package for home-based care programmes was used to assess the actual program best practices. The methodology of this study was guided by the WHO framework on home-based care. In this framework, the home-based care programme includes the following elements which make up the minimum package of care: provision of care, continuum of care, education, supplies and equipment, staffing, finance and sustainability, and monitoring and evaluation. Very few studies have been concluded to understand the sociological issues that affect women who provide care to the HIV and AIDS infected and affected in households and communities. It is hoped that this study will in some way address this gap, and that the information and recommendations contained in this thesis will guide policy recommendations in Malawi that will incorporate the lived experiences of those who provide this care. The study revealed that women providing home-based care to the HIV and AIDS infected and affected experience harsh challenges. Women carry the burden of care as traditionally men do not provide care. Women experience extreme deprivation which manifests itself through a number of socio-economic difficulties and these include been shown in their inability to provide for their basic necessities such as food, and other household needs. For most of the women carers, the deprivation is a direct consequence of their low levels of education which rendered them unable to find employment of engage in successful business ownership. The women carers also lack social security in the sense that they do not have access to land for example which could ensure that they have some level of food security. When the main income earner died the women carers and their dependants were left to fend for themselves. Women carers also experienced various psychological problems and these included nightmares, insomnia, depression and these affected their physical health such a few reported lack of appetite for food as a major issue. Women carers and in particular the young women reported that they had to elements which make up the minimum package of care: provision of care, continuum of care, education, supplies and equipment, staffing, finance and sustainability, and monitoring and evaluation. Very few studies have been concluded to understand the sociological issues that affect women who provide care to the HIV and AIDS infected and affected in households and communities. It is hoped that this study will in some way address this gap, and that the information and recommendations contained in this thesis will guide policy recommendations in Malawi that will incorporate the lived experiences of those who provide this care. The study revealed that women providing home-based care to the HIV and AIDS infected and affected experience harsh challenges. Women carry the burden of care as traditionally men do not provide care. Women experience extreme deprivation which manifests itself through a number of socio-economic difficulties and these include been shown in their inability to provide for their basic necessities such as food, and other household needs. For most of the women carers, the deprivation is a direct consequence of their low levels of education which rendered them unable to find employment of engage in successful business ownership. The women carers also lack social security in the sense that they do not have access to land for example which could ensure that they have some level of food security. When the main income earner died the women carers and their dependants were left to fend for themselves. Women carers also experienced various psychological problems and these included nightmares, insomnia, depression and these affected their physical health such a few reported lack of appetite for food as a major issue. Women carers and in particular the young women reported that they had to drop of school to marry when their parents or guardians died. The other dimension to this issue was that the older women carers reported that during their young years, it was common place to find girls who did not attend school or were pressurised to get married because their parents did not believe in educating girls. The background is currently affecting the women carers as they find that they cannot get involved in profitable business or even look for employment. They lack the basic literacy levels that would allow them to be become more productive and ensure financial security. Women carers experienced a number of gender related challenges as they provided care and these included the burden of care being almost solely borne by the women. Women revealed that they have had to use various coping strategies in the face of the overwhelming challenges that they continue to experience. Elderly women have found ways to cope by selling the property such as land and household goods, conducting small scale informal business, and sending the children away to relatives to be fostered. The young women on the other hand have sometimes reverted to some dangerous strategies for coping such as getting a boyfriend to provide for their financial needs, engaged in transactional sex, and some got married very early. The other coping strategies that the young women employed were to conduct small businesses, depended on family and relatives to provide for their various needs. The women volunteers revealed that they used their group as a therapy group, they shared the work, and that they were involved in small scale businesses. The study has also revealed that there is a home-based care programme that is functioning fairly well. However, there are indications that as much as the various players are trying to assist those who are infected and affected by HIV and AIDS, there are severe gaps in the effectiveness of the programme. There is need for a review of the programme so that it answers to the needs of those who are caring for those who are on home-based care i.e. a more rigorous implementation of HBC programme is required. The overall findings of the study indicate that the poverty trap in which the women are caught impacts on every aspect of their existence, with little hope of them ever improving their conditions. There is need for the Malawi government to come up with strategic interventions that would alleviate of women in general but in particular those who are left to provide care at home. Such interventions could include poverty alleviation strategies for women who are providing care to ensure that their situation does not deteriorate once they begin to provide care. Since Malawi is a signatory to the UN Millennium Development Goals, it is important that the plight of women is revisited and find lasting solutions to the challenges that they experience. Women are still lagging behind in education for example. There is need to improve girls and women access to education. The health of women has been affected by HIV and AIDS. The Government of Malawi also needs to review the policies that are in place which address women’s health. Essentially the status of women is need of a major change in order for the country to achieve some level of development which is at par with other countries in the sub-Saharan African region. / Sociology / D. Phil. (Sociology)