Barriers and enablers to breast cancer screening in rural South Africa.

Background:  The breast cancer burden on the South African healthcare system is severe, with rural South African women often diagnosed at an advanced stage of the disease. South Africa's rural areas are classified as low-resource settings with limited medical services and infrastructure. The impact of breast cancer on rural communities in South Africa requires ongoing research to better understand the severity of this disease among one of the most vulnerable populations.

Lived experiences of radiology caregivers during a health crisis: A COVID-19 case analysis.

Background: Health crises have been linked with the exacerbation of pre-existing difficulties and the emergence of unique challenges, as evidenced by the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on health caregivers worldwide. Baseline data allow for reflection and preparation for any future health emergencies therefore giving impetus to phenomenological enquiries among the experiencers.

Aim: This study aimed to explore the lived experiences of the eThekwini district frontline radiology caregivers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Doctors' perspectives on the quality of medical imaging in public hospitals in eThekwini District.

Background: There is a paucity of literature on perspectives of referring doctors about the quality of medical imaging services and this study closes this gap in literature.

Aim: This quality assurance (QA) study aimed to explore the perspectives of doctors on the quality of medical imaging services in selected regional hospitals within eThekwini District of KwaZulu-Natal.

Setting: The study was conducted in four public regional hospitals.

Factors Predisposing Emergency Medical Technicians to Workplace Violence: A Cross Sectional Study.

Emergency medical technicians (EMT) are at high risk of workplace violence as they often care for patients in uncontrolled and often hostile emergency settings. Gauteng Province, the most populous province in South Africa, caters for 75% of the total population which is dependant on state funded health care. Public sector EMTs' have been robbed with aggravated circumstances, assaulted with intent to do grievous bodily harm, raped and even murdered whilst on duty.

Provision of HIV testing services and its impact on the HIV positivity rate in the public health sector in KwaZulu-Natal: a ten-year review.

South Africa has been rated as having the most severe HIV epidemic in the world since it has one of the largest populations of people living with HIV (PLHIV). KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) is the epicentre of the HIV epidemic. The HIV test and treat services in the public health sector are critical to managing the epidemic and responding to the increase in HIV infections.

Allopathic medicine practitioners' experiences with non-disclosure of traditional medicine use.

Background: A pertinent issue impacting patient treatment outcomes is the nondisclosure of traditional medicine (TM) use to Allopathic medicine practitioners (AMPs). For years, TM has been a controversial practice, with patients often using it alongside allopathic medicine without disclosing their use. It is imperitive to learn and understand the experiences of AMPs regarding the disclosure of TM use in Gauteng province to enable them to provide the best possible treatment outcomes for patients who use TM.

Determinants and acceptability of HIV self-testing among vulnerable groups in sub-Saharan Africa: A scoping review protocol.

Introduction: HIV self-testing (HIVST) is where individuals collect their specimens and perform the HIV test privately. HIVST has improved testing uptake and coverage, especially among vulnerable groups of sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Vulnerable groups include key populations such as men who have sex with men, sex workers, people who inject drugs, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons and young women.

Allopathic Medicine Practitioners' perspectives on facilitating disclosure of traditional medicine use in Gauteng, South Africa: a qualitative study.

Background: Traditional medicine (TM) plays a key role in maintaining health in many societies. Given the requirement for TM disclosure, Allopathic Medicine Practitioners (AMPs) must encourage open communication with patients to persuade those who use TM to disclose. Addressing patient non-disclosure of TM requires this dialogue to be facilitated.

Exploring the Lived Experiences of Vulnerable Females from a Low-Resource Setting during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The onset of the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has affected the mental health and well-being of women in vulnerable settings. Currently, there is limited evidence that explores the wellness of elderly women under the associated restrictions. This study explores the lived experiences of elderly women in a vulnerable community in Durban, South Africa.

The Sociocultural Influences on Breast Cancer Screening among Rural African Women in South Africa.

The incidence of breast cancer in South Africa is increasing, with rural South African women presenting with advanced stages of the disease. A woman's breasts are a symbol of her womanhood; they also constitute a social definition of her femininity. Women with breast cancer in rural South Africa are heavily stigmatized and suffer from various sociocultural interpretations of the disease.

Experiences of Women with Disabilities in Accessing Maternal Healthcare Services: A South African Case Study.

Access to maternal healthcare services is a challenge in most low- and middle-income countries. South Africa is one of the countries striving to improve the accessibility of maternal healthcare services. Although South Africa has put some interventions in place to improve the accessibility of maternal healthcare services, vulnerable women including women with disabilities are still facing numerous challenges when trying to access these services.

Mental Health Challenges during COVID-19 Pandemic: Experiences of Primary Healthcare Nurses in Durban, South Africa.

The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on the mental health of individuals globally, and primary healthcare (PHC) nurses play a critical role in providing mental healthcare services. However, limited research has explored the experiences of PHC nurses in providing mental healthcare services during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study explored the experiences of PHC nurses in providing mental healthcare services during the pandemic in Durban, South Africa.

Pregnant Women's Views Regarding Maternity Facility-Based Delivery at Primary Health Care Facilities in the Province of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa.

For women giving birth, every moment of delay in receiving skilled care significantly increases the risks of stillbirth, neonatal and maternal death. More than half of all births in developing countries, including South Africa, take place outside a health facility and without skilled birth attendants. Therefore, this has made it difficult to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals of global reduction in maternal mortality, which is a key health challenge globally, especially in developing countries and sub-Saharan Africa in particular.

Factors that influence resignations of radiographers employed by tertiary hospitals in the KwaZulu-Natal province, South Africa.

Background: The shortage of staff in Kwa-Zulu Natal (KZN) public hospitals is evident and poses a challenge to retain radiographers. Therefore, there is need to identify the factors that influence resignations of radiographers.

Objective: The aim of this study was to explore the factors that influence resignations of radiographers employed by tertiary hospitals in KZN province.

Psychosocial support services to enhance well-being of orphaned and vulnerable learners in Eswatini early childhood centres and primary schools.

In Eswatini (formerly Swaziland), the increasing number of orphans and vulnerable children due to HIV/AIDS has spurred demand for psychosocial support services. When the Ministry of Education and Training assumed responsibility for delivering psychosocial support, educators were burdened with the additional role of looking after orphans and vulnerable learners. This exploratory, sequential, mixed-methods study was employed to analyse factors that enhance the provision of psychosocial support services and the perceptions of educators towards psychosocial support delivery.

Ethical and methodological reflections: Digital storytelling of self-care with students during the COVID-19 pandemic at a South African University.

The enforcement of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic restrictions disrupted the traditional face-to-face qualitative data collection in public health. The pandemic forced qualitative researchers to transition to remote methods of data collection such as digital storytelling. Currently, there is a limited understanding of ethical and methodological challenges in digital storytelling.

Computer Skills and Electronic Health Records (EHRs) in a State Tertiary Hospital in Southwest Nigeria.

Adopting change is something that is often resisted, as is often the case in the adoption of electronic health records (EHRs) in healthcare organizations. Embracing this will require computer knowledge to handle the system for the management of patients and their care. This study aims to determine the computer skills required for the uptake of electronic health records (EHR) by healthcare workers in an annex of the state teaching hospital, Okela Health Centre (OHC) Ado-Ekiti.

Disruptive behaviours involving radiographers that impede a safe work environment. Survey at central hospitals in Harare Metropolitan Province, Zimbabwe.

Background: Understanding disruptive behaviours from the perspective of radiographers is important, as this professional group uses hazardous radiation in the execution of their duties, making patient safety of utmost concern.

Objective: Determine the disruptive behaviours involving radiographers at central hospitals in Harare Metropolitan Province, Zimbabwe.

Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional quantitative study was carried out at central hospitals in Harare Metropolitan Province, Zimbabwe, where 100 radiographers were randomly selected.

Tuberculosis management and referral practices among traditional medicine practitioners in Lagos, Nigeria.

Introduction: Despite the potential role of Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs) and Traditional Healers (THs), little is known about their knowledge of tuberculosis (TB) management and referral practices in Nigeria.

Objective: To determine knowledge and self-reported practices of traditional birth attendants and traditional healers in managing TB in Lagos, Nigeria.

Methods: A cross-sectional study of 120 THs and TBAs in three high TB burden Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Lagos, Nigeria.

Vulnerability and Agency in the Time of COVID-19: The Narratives of Child and Youth Care Workers in South Africa.

In this paper, we use data generated through one-on-one interviews with 12 purposively sampled Child and Youth Care Workers to examine their narratives of work and life-related vulnerabilities and agency during the peak of the COVID-19 global pandemic in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Our findings show that Child and Youth Care Workers were vulnerable to poor mental health. Indeed, working and socialising during the height of COVID-19 posed a mental toll on the Child and Youth Care Workers in this study, who experienced fear, uncertainty, anxiety and stress.

Factors motivating intent to leave amongst radiographers employed by public tertiary hospitals in the Gauteng Province, South Africa.

Background: The elements of job satisfaction can be categorized into intrinsic and extrinsic factors. The presence of a higher level of intrinsic factors will result in increased motivation amongst employees, whilst extrinsic factors will result in job dissatisfaction. Decreased job satisfaction levels amongst healthcare professionals are known to create an intent to leave.

A Cross-Sectional Study of Coronavirus Disease Prevention Practices among University Staff and Students in Durban, South Africa in 2020-2021.

Globally, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a negative impact on individuals, education, and the economy. During its peak, the pandemic forced school closures. Although there is currently no cure for corona virus, non-pharmaceutical measures can help prevent its spread.

Radiography Managers' Perspectives on the Strategies to Mitigate Disruptive Behaviours: A Qualitative Exploratory Study.

Disruptive behaviours (DBs) are not normally in the scope of legal sanctions, notwithstanding their undesirable effects. Hence, many healthcare organizations still have difficulty in dealing with them in an effective manner. Several studies suggest that few organizations have tailor-made policies or procedures for evaluating, proving and mitigating these behaviours.

Back pain in pregnant women attending an antenatal clinic in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

Background: Back pain is not uncommon in pregnant women, but it is often under-reported and can be disabling. International studies report a high prevalence of back pain, especially in the last trimester. Little is known about the prevalence of back pain in South African pregnant women.

A practice framework for the cooperative treatment of cancer between traditional health practitioners and radiation oncologists in KwaZulu-Natal province, South Africa.

Background: Cooperative practice between traditional health practitioners (THPs) and radiation oncologists (ROs) is crucial for the continuity of care in the treatment of patients with cancer. However, scant information exists on how to co-ordinate cooperation between these health practitioners without interrupting the treatment of the patients.

Aim: The study aimed to explore the practices of THPs and ROs in cancer treatment and ultimately derive a workable practice framework between these health practitioners in the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) province.