Child health promotion during the COVID-19 pandemic: A health and welfare sector collaboration

Background: Fragmented service provision and a lack of efficient cooperation between health and welfare sectors serving children and families remain ongoing challenges in South Africa. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic escalated this fragmentation. A community of practice (CoP) was established by the Centre for Social Development in Africa to promote collaboration between the sectors and to assist communities in their environments. Aim: To explore and describe collaboration on child health promotion between professional nurses and social workers, who formed part of the CoP during the COVID-19 pandemic. Setting: The study was conducted in five public schools from four of the seven district regions of the City of Johannesburg, Gauteng province. Methods: A qualitative, exploratory, descriptive research design was employed to conduct psychosocial and health screenings of children and their families. Focus group interviews were conducted, and field notes were used to collect and confirm data from the team. Results: Four themes emerged. Participants shared their positive and negative experiences faced during the fieldwork, their realisation of the value of collaboration between various sectors and their desire and capacity to do more. Conclusion: Participants indicated that collaboration between the health and welfare sectors is vital to support and promote the health of children and their families. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need for collaboration between these sectors in the children and their families' ongoing struggles.

Child health promotion during the COVID-19 pandemic: A health and welfare sector collaboration

Background: Fragmented service provision and a lack of efficient cooperation between health and welfare sectors serving children and families remain ongoing challenges in South Africa. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic escalated this fragmentation. A community of practice (CoP) was established by the Centre for Social Development in Africa to promote collaboration between the sectors and to assist communities in their environments. Aim: To explore and describe collaboration on child health promotion between professional nurses and social workers, who formed part of the CoP during the COVID-19 pandemic. Setting: The study was conducted in five public schools from four of the seven district regions of the City of Johannesburg, Gauteng province. Methods: A qualitative, exploratory, descriptive research design was employed to conduct psychosocial and health screenings of children and their families. Focus group interviews were conducted, and field notes were used to collect and confirm data from the team. Results: Four themes emerged. Participants shared their positive and negative experiences faced during the fieldwork, their realisation of the value of collaboration between various sectors and their desire and capacity to do more. Conclusion: Participants indicated that collaboration between the health and welfare sectors is vital to support and promote the health of children and their families. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need for collaboration between these sectors in the children and their families' ongoing struggles. Contribution: The importance of these sectors being engaged as a team highlighted the multisectoral influence shaping child development outcomes, supporting children's human rights and advancing social and economic justice.

Factors affecting the utilization of prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV services in Anambra South, Nigeria

Background: In spite huge leaps in combating the spread and transmission of HIV globally, Nigeria still ranks high in the incidence of HIV among children. The study investigates the factors affecting the utilization of prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) of HIV services in Anambra South. Data source and Method: Data from 515 HIV positive women of child bearing age were collected using a structured questionnaire. The data sets were subjected to chi square and binary logistic regression analysis. Result: The results show that 86% of the respondents were aware of the PMTCT strategies while marital status (69.8%), age (70.7%) and place of residence (52.1%) were found to affect the uptake and utilization of PMTCT services. Conclusion: Evidence from the study drew attention to the need for government, social workers and healthcare providers to rise to their responsibilities in encouraging HIV women of reproductive age to utilize PMTCT services in order to achieve African Union Agenda 3

Prevalence of occupational injury and associated factors among workers in large-scale metal manufacturing factories in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Background: Worldwide work related injuries are becoming serious public health problems. However, very limited attempts have been made to assess the prevalence and factors associated with work-related injuries in Ethiopia. Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of occupational injury and associated factors among workers in large-scale metal manufacturing factories in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Methods: An institutional-based cross-sectional study was carried out among 588 metal workers in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Five metal factories were involved in the study. Data were collected using structured questionnaires, clinical data reviews and an observational checklist. Descriptive and multivariable analyses were done to describe the study population and identify risk factors associated with injury using an odds ratio with a 95%confidence interval (CI). Results: The prevalence of occupational injury among workers in the metal factories was 291 (49.9%) [95%CI: 45.8-53.9] per year. Among those injured respondents, 149 (51%) were not wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) at the time of injury. The use of PPE[adjusted odds ratio (AOR)=4.84; 95%CI: 2.93-8.01], attending primary school only [AOR=5.64; 95%CI: 3.05-10.43] and having 11 to 20 years' work experience [AOR=7.878; 95%CI: 2.60-23.90], were major predictors of work-related injury after adjusting for confounding factors. There were 18 recorded incidents resulting in major disabilities in one factory during the study period. Conclusions: The prevalence of occupational injury among metal workers was high. The use of PPE, attending primary school and those who had 11 to 20 years work experience were major predictors of work related injury. There is a need of provide an adequate supply of PPE for all metal workers and to ensure that they use it