The main objective of this study was to explore the perceptions of health care, and social services professionals on the psychosocial impact of African rural families. The research questions addressed were, the impact of HIV/AIDS on rural families, the impact on affected others, how HIV/AIDS has changed definition of rural families’ structures and the coping strategies adopted by these families in coping with the psychosocial impact of HIV/AIDS. The data were collected from six participants namely; 4 health care and 2 social services professionals who had an experience of 8 years dealing directly with families affected by the epidemic. This was an exploratory study and the measure used was semi-structured interview using open-ended questions to allow participants to reflect on their experiences as well as allowing the researcher to explore any areas that seemed necessary. The main results of the study revealed that there is a relationship between poverty and HIV/AIDS. The study also revealed the detrimental effect of HIV/AIDS on women and children as well as how cultural beliefs might at times be an obstacle for the intervention programmes to be effective. The findings have implications for the health care and social services professionals dealing with affected families that more psychosocial support is needed. Recommendations for further research on more studies related to the results as well as implementations of intervention programmes were indicated.

Thesis (M.B.A.)--University of Limpopo,2009. / The term “brain drain” became a reality in South Africa after doors opened for South Africans in overseas markets and the emphasis moved from hospital bed based care to total health for all South Africans. The lack of services in rural areas seems a problem with focus on migration of health professionals between rural and urban areas, and even overseas markets, leaving a possible imbalance. More allied health professionals from previously disadvantaged groups are trained but the need in specifically the rural areas continues to rise. Recruitment and retention strategies were implemented for scarce skilled health professionals in the Public Service but no proof is available whether it is successful or not for the allied health professional group. The vacancy rates for allied health professional posts are reportedly too high despite the fact that more candidates are recruited from rural areas to be trained as professionals, hoping they will return to work in rural areas. Allied health professionals seem to be constantly on the move despite the strategies already implemented, reasons for this are unknown. The purpose of this study is to explore and determine if there is an imbalance of allied health workers in rural and urban areas within Limpopo Province. Secondly, it was to determine what factors may influence and contribute to allied health professional‟s decision to consider migration and thirdly to establish if the current recruitment and retention strategies are having the desired outcome. A survey was conducted over a period of three months with respondents representing the dietetic, physiotherapy, radiography, occupational therapy and speech and language therapy professions. The sample population was randomly selected as well as cluster sampling from the different districts within the Limpopo Province. Data was collected from a total of 122 respondents. xv Because the type of data collected was mainly nominal data, graphical and tabular descriptive techniques like frequencies, relative frequencies, tables and graphs were used to provide information. Numerical descriptive techniques were also used to calculate sample statistics and the only statistical technique that involves nominal data, the Chi-Squared Test was also applied. The findings of the research survey enabled the researcher to make final conclusions as well as specific recommendations to the target groups that may benefit from this study in order to change the “brain drain” to a “brain gain” situation for allied health professionals within the Limpopo Province. / N/A

The aim of this thesis is comparison of the traffic consumption in three selected European countries. Analysis and comparison of traffic intensity in rural and urban areas of the Czech Republic, Germany and the Netherlands. The thesis is focused on the evaluation of the diversity of rural and urban traffic consumption and it asseses the relationships between transport and the environment. Hypotheses are verified by analysis of carbon dioxide emissions in the passenger car, public and air transport (data from the project GILDED).