The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on forensic pathology services in Limpopo province, South Africa.

Background:  To evaluate the effects of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and the preventative measures taken, especially how they affect forensic pathology services in rural South Africa.

Methods:  This retrospective analysis includes referred post-mortem cases from all forensic pathology services in Limpopo province, comparing the period before the COVID-19 pandemic (01 January 2019 to 31 December 2019) with the pandemic period (01 January 2020 to 31 December 2020). Data analysis was performed using STATA 16.

South Africa's male homicide epidemic hiding in plain sight: Exploring sex differences and patterns in homicide risk in a retrospective descriptive study of postmortem investigations.

South Africa has an overall homicide rate six times the global average. Males are predominantly the victims and perpetrators, but little is known about the male victims. For the country's first ever study on male homicide we compared 2017 male and female victim profiles for selected covariates, against global average and previous estimates for 2009.

South Africa's male homicide epidemic hiding in plain sight: exploring sex differences and patterns in homicide risk in a retrospective descriptive study of postmortem investigations.

Background: South Africa has homicide rates six times the global average, predominantly among men, but little is known about male victims. As part of the country's first ever study of male homicide we compared 2017 male and female victim profiles for selected covariates, against global averages and previous estimates for 2009.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective descriptive study of routine data collected through postmortem investigations, calculating age-standardised mortality rates for manner of death by age, sex and province and male-to-female incidence rate ratios with 95% confidence intervals.