Evaluation of ImpENSA technology-enabled behaviour change module delivered to healthcare professionals in South Africa to improve micronutrient nutrition during the first 1000 days.

Healthcare professionals (HCPs) have vital roles in providing evidence-based care to promote healthy micronutrient nutrition in early life. Providing such care requires scalable training to strengthen knowledge and confident application of effective behaviour change skills. Among 33 public and private HCPs (primarily dietitians) in South Africa, we evaluated the behaviour change aspects of a technology-enabled National Qualification Sub-Framework level 6 programme, Improving Early Nutrition and Health in South Africa ('ImpENSA').

COVID-19 vaccine uptake and effectiveness by time since vaccination in the Western Cape province, South Africa: An observational cohort study during 2020-2022.

Background: There are few data on the real-world effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines and boosting in Africa, which experienced high levels of SARS-CoV-2 infection in a mostly vaccine-naïve population, and has limited vaccine coverage and competing health service priorities. We assessed the association between vaccination and severe COVID-19 in the Western Cape, South Africa.

Methods: We performed an observational cohort study of >2 million adults during 2020-2022.

Food-based dietary guidelines and nutrition interventions for children at primary healthcare facilities in South Africa.

Existing dietary recommendations and nutrition counselling provided to mothers/caregivers at primary healthcare (PHC) facilities are reviewed and analysed to be consistent with food-based dietary guidelines (FBDGs) that are being developed for preschool children. Recommendations provided by the Integrated Management of Childhood Illness and the provincial Paediatric Case Management Guidelines, which are currently implemented at PHC facilities were reviewed. For FBDGs to be consistent with nutrition counselling that is provided to mothers/caregivers at these facilities, various principles need to be promoted.