Health e News
by Chantelle Kriel, CEO of Casa Caritas. Most children with disabilities require care beyond what parents or primary caregivers can provide. In South Africa, many parents with disabled children struggle to earn a basic living, let alone afford the optimal care their children need. And, if children with disabilities do not receive proper care, they can be at risk of developing malnutrition, aspiration from not being fed correctly and scoliosis, which is a sideways curvature of the spine due to a lack of adequate physical therapy. Today, approximately 15% (more than one billion) of people globally have some form of disability. To highlight the plight of people with disabilities, the United Nations (UN) established International Day of Persons with Disabilities in 1992, which is celebrated every year on the 3rd of December 2023. The day is aimed at creating awareness of the many challenges faced by the disabled community and
by Dr Ntombifikile Mtshali, CEO of Shout-It-Now, a South African NPC that delivers youth-friendly, community-based HIV prevention, sexual and reproductive health and related services in the Gauteng and North West provinces. Young children learn by imitating the behaviours of those around them, especially adults in their immediate environment. What they see and hear – they do. While this is perfectly acceptable when it applies to the respectable traits and good habits that form the foundation of being a responsible citizen, it is not for those behaviours that are inappropriate, toxic and harmful. Our children emulate all our behaviours because they do not know the difference. It is up to us to show them. For the past 25 years South Africa has initiated its annual 16 Days of Activism for no Violence Against Women and Children campaign, but despite efforts, gender-based violence is rampant in the country. Every single day there are 146
South Africans are facing tough economic times this holiday season. Poultry producers have warned of an increase in the price of chicken and eggs. This carries major concerns about the nutritional needs of poor and working class families who rely on these as their main protein source. Protein is an important part of a healthy and well balanced diet. The protein in our diets comes mainly from food that we get from animals like meat, fish, chicken and dairy. “If chicken gets a bit more expensive, then people – especially low-income earners won’t be able to afford it. And eggs are very good for children and pregnant women. So an increase in the price of both chicken and eggs might compromise some people’s nutrient intake,” says Professor Xikombiso Mbhenyane, head of the Division of Human Nutrition, and Research Chair in Food Environments, Nutrition and Health at Stellenbosch University. We get
Hellen Gitau, African Population and Health Research Center; Blessing Mberu, African Population and Health Research Center; Kanyiva Muindi, African Population and Health Research Center, and Samuel Iddi, African Population and Health Research Center Housing is a critical social determinant of health. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines healthy housing as a shelter that supports physical, mental and social wellbeing. The WHO has developed guidelines outlining the attributes of healthy housing. These include structural soundness, as well as access to a local community that enables social interactions. Healthy housing protects inhabitants from the effects of disasters, pollution, waste and extreme heat or cold. It provides a feeling of home, including a sense of belonging, security and privacy. Health risks in the home environment are important to think about because of the amount of time people spend there. In countries where unemployment levels are high or where most work is home based,
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One in 3 South African women experience depression and/or anxiety during and after pregnancy. Empathy and positive mental health screening at clinics are essential parts of maternity care. This film by the Perinatal Mental Health Project at the University of Cape puts a spotlight on the training of health workers on obstetric violence, respectful maternity care and mental health.
by Dr Lee Randall an independent road safety researcher and co-founder of the Road Ethics Project Globally, young people aged 5-29 – especially males – are the most likely to die in road crashes. This is very concerning in Africa where an extremely high proportion of the population is made up of young people. This continent has an especially bad road death rate: 27 out of every 100,000 Africans die due to road crashes. This is in contrast with the best-performing European region where only 7 out of every 100,000 people die due to road crashes. Put plainly, in 2019 there were 18 Africans for every 10 Europeans, but 43 Africans died on the roads for every 10 Europeans who died the same way. South Africa is often seen as having good roads and road safety, but is actually not too far below the African average – the 2021 road