ABSTRACT
This article describes how South African educators were facilitated to adopt the role of HIV/AIDS 'ambassadors' within their circles of influence by participating in a two-year course for an Advanced Certificate in Education for HIV/AIDS in Teaching (ACE-HAT) qualification. It reports on the data generated by a qualitative study of the teachers' experiences with and subsequent to the programme. The programme works from the assumption that the HIV pandemic has provided us with an opportunity to address many of the issues and inequalities that the education system is facing today. Based on the Freirian notion of liberation pedagogy, the article puts forward the argument that by adopting a holistic and critical approach to HIV/AIDS education, educators are able to move beyond the traditional responsibilities of the teacher, and thus play an important role as agents of change in their school and community.
ABSTRACT
Although abnormalities of the immune system have been described in depression, information on serological alteration in acutely manic patients has been scarce. The present study undertook to investigate the levels of C-reactive proteins, circulating immune complexes, total immunoglobulins and immunoglobulin subclasses, complement proteins C3, C4, C6 and Factor B in the sera of 45 patients suffering from an acute manic episode. The findings were compared with assessments on the sera of 45 controls. The results demonstrate a number of significant differences between patients and controls. Whilst levels of immunoglobulin D were significantly lower, the levels of total immunoglobulin and immunoglobulin G1, complement proteins C3, C6 and Factor B were raised in the patient group when compared with the controls. Our results suggest a relationship between acute mania and immunological parameters associated with acute phase responses.
