ABSTRACT
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.
Subject(s)
Humans , Female , Pregnancy , Bacteria , Urinary Tract Infections , Drug Resistance, Microbial , Anti-Bacterial AgentsABSTRACT
Introduction: Steroid phobia has been recognized as a hindrance to successful treatment in patients with atopic eczema. Data on this phenomenon is lacking in Malaysia. This study investigates the prevalence and reasons for topical corticosteroid phobia in patients with atopic eczema and their caregivers. Methods: A questionnaire-based study was conducted in both children and adult patients suffering from atopic eczema in two government dermatology clinics at Hospital Kuala Lumpur and Hospital Kota Bharu between May and July 2011. Results: Of the 77 respondents, 39% were worried about using topical corticosteroids for their eczema with 13% totally avoiding steroids. The most common reason for this fear was concern about skin thinning (27.3%) followed by concern on changes in skin colour (14.3%), scarring (13%) and stretch marks (13%). Steroid phobia was significantly higher in those with tertiary education (p=0.005). Conclusion: Steroid phobia appears to be a significant problem in Malaysia especially in those with higher educational background. Despite these concerns, the patients’ compliance to topical corticosteroids is still reasonably good.
ABSTRACT
Comparative field efficacy studies of four mosquito coil formulations containing active ingredient of d-allethrin (0.19 or 0.28 w/w) and d-transallethrin (0.12 or 0.16% w/w) and blank coils without active ingredient were carried out in living rooms (mean size 54.1 m3) of residential houses in a squatter area in Butterworth, Malaysia. The major indoor biting mosquitos collected in the test site were that of Culex quinquefasciatus Say (84.7%). Mean percentage reduction of blank coils, coils with 0.19 and 0.28% d-allethrin and coils with 0.12 and 0.16% d-transallethrin were 29.0, 71.7, 70.9, 75.0 and 72.6%, respectively. The use of coils as a mean of personal protection against mosquitos is discussed.