The cost of harmful alcohol use in South Africa: A reply to Murray and Barr (2022).

Letter by Matzopoulos et al. on article by Murray and Barr (Murray M, Barr GDI. The cost of harmful alcohol use in South Africa: A commentary.

Investigating the disjoint between education and health policy for infant feeding among teenage mothers in South Africa: a case for intersectoral work.

Background: Many low-and-middle-income countries, including South Africa, have high rates of teenage pregnancy. Following the World Health Organisation recommendations, South African health policy on infant feeding promotes exclusive breastfeeding until six months of age, with gradual weaning. At the same time, South Africa's education department, in the interest of learners, promotes adolescents' early return to school post-partum.

The efficacy of a blended motivational interviewing and problem solving therapy intervention to reduce substance use among patients presenting for emergency services in South Africa: A randomized controlled trial.

Background: The treatment of substance use disorders is a public health priority, particularly in South Africa where the prevalence of these disorders is high. We tested two peer-counsellor delivered brief interventions (BIs) for risky substance use among adults presenting to emergency departments (EDs) in South Africa.

Methods: In this randomised controlled trial, we enrolled patients presenting to one of three 24-hour EDs who screened at risk for substance use according to the Alcohol, Smoking, and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST).

The cost of harmful alcohol use in South Africa.

Background: The economic, social and health costs associated with alcohol-related harms are important measures with which to inform alcohol management policies and laws. This analysis builds on previous cost estimates for South Africa.

Methods: We reviewed existing international best-practice costing frameworks to provide the costing definitions and dimensions.

Piloting a trauma surveillance tool for primary healthcare emergency centres.

Objective: We aimed to pilot a trauma surveillance tool for use in a primary healthcare emergency centre to provide a risk profile of injury patterns in Elsies River, Cape Town.

Methods: Healthcare workers completed a one-page questionnaire capturing demographic and injury data from trauma patients presenting to the emergency unit of the Elsies River Community Health Centre over a period of 10 days.

Results: Trauma cases comprised about one-fifth of the total headcount during the study period.