Assessment of effectiveness of traditional herbal medicine in managing HIV/AIDS patients in South Africa.

Background: Very few clinical studies have been conducted in South Africa to assess the value and efficacy of traditional herbal medicines that are commonly used by traditional healers for the treatment of HIV-positive patients.

Objective: To assess efficacy of a South African traditional herbal medicine in reducing viral load and increasing CD4+T cell counts of HIV/AIDS patients.

Design: A descriptive, prospective, follow-up study of 33 HIV-positive volunteers over a one year period.

Maternal height and external pelvimetry to predict cephalopelvic disproportion in nulliparous African women: a cohort study.

Objective: To assess external pelvimetry and maternal height, as predictors of cephalopelvic disproportion.

Design: Prospective cohort study.

Setting: Four hospitals in Zaire.

[The characteristics of pregnancy-puerperium in central Africa. I. Cesarean section in 3 different areas in Zaire].

A series of 5,127 deliveries carried out in rural (Boende), in semi-urban (Bonzola) and in the urban university teaching hospital units was studied from April to September 1986 to assess pregnancy and the puerperium in a Zairian population. In particular the Caesarean section rate was looked at. Two hundred and forty eight Caesareans were carried out--a rate of 4.