Comparing the medication costs of treating patients with schizophrenia who use cannabis with those who do not.

Background: Cannabis use is more prevalent among people with schizophrenia than in the general population. This usage detrimentally impacts disease prognosis, contributing to escalated admissions, heightened severity of psychotic symptoms, and reduced medication response. The recent decriminalisation of cannabis in South Africa may lead to an upsurge in usage, consequently intensifying the strain on mental healthcare services.

Strategies to Close the PrEP Uptake Gap Among Transgender People and Men Who Have Sex with Men in Tshwane, South Africa: Perspectives from the Community.

HIV Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) uptake among transgender (TG) people and gay men and other men who have sex with men (MSM) remains low, despite South Africa being the first African country to approve PrEP. This mixed-methods study used a two-phase explanatory sequential design: (1) quantitative analysis of cross-sectional surveys followed by (2) qualitative in-depth interviews. This study explored facilitators and barriers to PrEP uptake to identify strategies to increase utilization in these key populations.

Identifying heat thresholds for South Africa towards the development of a heat-health warning system.

Exposure to heatwaves may result in adverse human health impacts. Heat alerts in South Africa are currently based on defined temperature-fixed threshold values for large towns and cities. However, heat-health warning systems (HHWS) should incorporate metrics that have been shown to be effective predictors of negative heat-related health outcomes.

Heterogeneity in COVID-19 infection among older persons in South Africa: Evidence from national surveillance data.

Background: The 2021 World Health Organization study on the impact of COVID-19 on older people (≥60 years) in the African region highlighted the difficulties they faced as the virus spread across borders and dominated the way of life. These difficulties included disruptions to both essential health care services and social support, as well as disconnections from family and friends. Among those who contracted COVID-19, the risks of severe illness, complications, and mortality were highest among near-old and older persons.

Intervention in Mothers and Newborns to Reduce Maternal and Perinatal Mortality in 3 Provinces in South Africa Using a Quality Improvement Approach: Protocol for a Mixed Method Type 2 Hybrid Evaluation.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic undermined gains in reducing maternal and perinatal mortality in South Africa. The Mphatlalatsane Initiative is a health system intervention to reduce mortality and morbidity in women and newborns to desired levels.

Objective: Our evaluation aims to determine the effect of various exposures, including the COVID-19 pandemic, and a system-level, complex, patient-centered quality improvement (QI) intervention (the Mphatlalatsane Initiative) on maternal and neonatal health services at 21 selected South African facilities.

Prognostic variables and 4-year survival outcomes in CD20 Positive AIDS-Related Lymphoma in the Anti-retroviral treatment era: A Retrospective Review from a Single Centre in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

Objective: To describe 4-year survival outcomes and assess the value of established and additional relevant variables to predict complete response (CR), four-year progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) of CD20 positive AIDS-Related Lymphoma (ARL) treated with standard combination chemotherapy.

Method: We performed a retrospective review of patients diagnosed with CD20 positive ARL between 2006 and 2016. All patients over 12 years of age who received at least one cycle of combination chemotherapy with curative intent were included in the analysis.

Patient characteristics and outcome of CD20-positive HIV-associated lymphoma: a single-center KwaZulu-Natal, South African hospital 12-year retrospective review.

Background: Due to the high prevalence of HIV, HIV-associated lymphoma (HAL) is a common malignancy in South Africa. However, there is a paucity of literature on HAL from this region. The objective of this study was to profile the clinical characteristics and outcome of CD20-positive HAL treated with cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (CHOP), with or without rituximab (R), from a single center in KwaZulu -Natal, South Africa.

A risk measurement tool for targeted HIV prevention measures amongst young pregnant and lactating women in South Africa.

Background: We aimed to develop and validate a tool to identify which pregnant/lactating young South African women (≤ 24 years) are at risk of HIV infection.

Methods: Data from three national South African Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission (PMTCT) evaluations were used to internally validate three HIV acquisition risk models for young postpartum women. We used univariate and multivariable logistic regression analysis to determine which risk factors were significant.

HIV-associated plasmablastic lymphoma: A single-centre 12-year experience in Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa.

Objective: To describe the clinical profile and outcome of patients with HIV-associated plasmablastic lymphoma (PBL) treated with cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, oncovin, prednisone (CHOP) chemotherapy in a tertiary hospital in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

Methods: This 12-year retrospective clinical chart review, from 2006 to 2018, of patients with PBL treated with CHOP chemotherapy describes their clinical presentation, complete response (CR), progression-free survival (PFS) and disease-free survival (DFS). Response to salvage chemotherapy was also assessed, as was the overall survival (OS).

Household Air Pollution and Respiratory Symptoms a Month Before and During the Stringent COVID-19 Lockdown Levels 5 and 4 in South Africa.

Background: Household air pollution (HAP) is associated with adverse human health impacts. During COVID-19 Lockdown Levels 5 and 4 (the most stringent levels), South Africans remained at home, potentially increasing their exposure to HAP.

Objectives: To investigate changes in fuel use behaviours/patterns of use affecting HAP exposure and associated HAP-related respiratory health outcomes during COVID-19 Lockdown Levels 5 and 4.

Tracking the circulating SARS-CoV-2 variant of concern in South Africa using wastewater-based epidemiology.

This study uses wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) to rapidly and, through targeted surveillance, track the geographical distribution of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (Alpha, Beta and Delta) within 24 wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in the Western Cape of South Africa. Information obtained was used to identify the circulating variant of concern (VOC) within a population and retrospectively trace when the predominant variant was introduced. Genotyping analysis of SARS-CoV-2 showed that 50% of wastewater samples harbored signature mutations linked to the Beta variant before the third wave, with the Delta variant absent within the population.

Classroom Temperature and Learner Absenteeism in Public Primary Schools in the Eastern Cape, South Africa.

Children spend a significant proportion of their time at school and in school buildings. A healthy learning environment that supports children should be thermally conducive for learning and working. Here, we aimed to study the relations between indoor classroom temperatures and learner absenteeism as a proxy for children's health and well-being.

National prevalence of coronary heart disease and stroke in South Africa from 1990-2017: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: South Africa is experiencing an increasing burden of cardiovascular diseases, including coronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke. We aimed to obtain overall national prevalence estimates of CHD and stroke in South Africa.

Methods: Studies conducted in South Africa were systematically reviewed from PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science from January 1990 to July 2017.

Differential impact on men in an IPV prevention intervention: A post hoc analysis using latent class analysis of the Stepping Stones and Creating Futures intervention in South Africa.

Working with men to prevent their perpetration of intimate partner violence and non-partner sexual violence is increasingly recognised as effective. However, in any given context there are a multiplicity of masculinities, each of which has a different association with violence perpetration. There remains lack of clarity about whether such interventions impact all men and masculinities equally.

Associations between exposures to occupation-related events, depression and intimate partner violence among women in the occupied Palestinian Territories.

War and conflict impact on women's mental health and experiences of intimate partner violence (IPV), including in the occupied Palestinian Territories (oPT). Drawing on a cross-sectional population representative sample (=534) collected in February 2017 in the oPT, we sought to (i) characterise the patterning of occupation-related events among women (18+) living in the oPT, (ii) to descriptively assess factors associated with this patterning, (iii) to assess the health impacts of occupation-related events by this patterning, specifically experience of IPV and poor mental health, and (iv) to assess the pathways through which occupation-related events are associated with IPV experience. Using Latent Class Analysis we identified three 'classes' of exposure to occupation-related events: 1 in 20 experienced multiple forms directed at themselves, their families and homes, 42.

Correction to: Effectiveness of a multi-level intervention to reduce men's perpetration of intimate partner violence: a cluster randomised controlled trial.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.

Effectiveness of a multi-level intervention to reduce men's perpetration of intimate partner violence: a cluster randomised controlled trial.

Background: Men's perpetration of intimate partner violence (IPV) limits gains in health and wellbeing for populations globally. Largely informal, rapidly expanding peri-urban settlements, with limited basic services such as electricity, have high prevalence rates of IPV. Evidence on how to reduce men's perpetration, change social norms and patriarchal attitudes within these settings is limited.

Stepping Stones and Creating Futures Intervention to Prevent Intimate Partner Violence Among Young People: Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial.

Purpose: Young people, not in formal employment or education, face exceedingly high levels of intimate partner violence (IPV). We evaluated whether Stepping Stones and Creating Futures, compared with a wait-list control, can reduce IPV and strengthen livelihoods.

Methods: A cluster randomized controlled trial with 34 clusters in urban informal settlements in eThekwini Municipality, South Africa.

Smoothed Temporal Atlases of Age-Gender All-Cause Mortality in South Africa.

Most mortality maps in South Africa and most contried of the sub-Saharan region are static, showing aggregated count data over years or at specific years. Lack of space and temporral dynamanics in these maps may adversely impact on their use and application for vigorous public health policy decisions and interventions. This study aims at describing and modeling sub-national distributions of age-gender specific all-cause mortality and their temporal evolutions from 1997 to 2013 in South Africa.