Traditional health practitioners' training needs on biomedical knowledge and skills in a South African township.

BACKGROUND: Traditional health practitioners (THPs) play an important role in communities by providing necessary health services for a variety of health problems. Possessing complementary biomedical knowledge and skills is vital in saving lives of patients. However, less is known about biomedical knowledge and skills among THPs. AIM: This study aimed to explore and describe the training needs of THPs on biomedical knowledge and skills in urban townships in South Africa. SETTING: The study was conducted in a township in the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality of Gauteng province, South Africa. METHODS: A qualitative, explorative, descriptive design with 18 THPs was employed through snowballing sampling. Data were collected through a lekgotla group discussion and thematic content analysis undertaken. RESULTS: Themes that emanated include knowledge of the basic physiological functioning of the human body; biomedical knowledge and skills required for the assessment of patients; managing emergency health conditions and understanding diagnostic concepts used in traditional health practice versus biomedical systems. CONCLUSION: Traditional health practitioners have demonstrated interest in being trained on certain skills used within the biomedical system to care for patients. Performing the necessary first-aid skills by THPs will assist patients in the communities while waiting for emergency services or referrals. Provision of training programmes for THPs on first aid interventions during emergencies is therefore recommended.Contribution: The study revealed that capacitating THPs with biomedical knowledge and skills can improve their ability to promote healthy living and prevent health problems in communities where access to resources is limited.

Strategies to enhance sexual health education for prevention of teenage pregnancy in Vhembe District, Limpopo Province: different stakeholder's perspectives, a co-operative Inquiry qualitative protocol paper.

BACKGROUND: South Africa is reporting higher rates of adolescent pregnancy as compared to other countries. There are different types of interventions that are in place to address teenage pregnancy. However, these interventions were developed using top-down strategy without the inclusion of different stakeholders and adolescents which makes it hard to implement those interventions particularly in countries like South Africa. Hence, this study aimed to develop strategies to enhance sexual health education for prevention of teenage pregnancy in Vhembe District, Limpopo Province of South Africa. METHODS: The research design of this study will be Co-operative Inquiry.The study will take place in Vhembe District in Limpopo province of South Africa through collaborating with a Non-governmental Organisation (NGO). The study population will be the teenagers and all the different stakeholders caring for teenagers in their areas of specialization. Purposive sampling will be used to sample the targeted participants of the study. The data collection method will be done in phases and focus group discussions will be used to collect data. Content analysis will be used to analyse data. DISCUSSION: This study will add to the body of knowledge regarding the strategies that maybe used to enhance sexual health education for prevention of teenage pregnancy.

Culturally appropriate care to support maternal positions during the second stage of labour: Midwives' perspectives in South Africa.

BACKGROUND:  'Doing what the Romans do in Rome' was an expression raised by one of the midwives following workplace culture and disregarding women's birth choices. Midwifery practice in South Africa caters for a culturally diverse ethnic groups of childbearing women. Culturally appropriate care highlights the importance of including women in decision-making concerning their birth preferences including maternal positions during labour. Women's right to choose their maternal position and cultural preferences during labour has been overlooked, leading to poor maternal healthcare provision and negative birth experiences. AIM:  In this article, the researchers aimed to describe and explore midwives' perspectives on culturally appropriate care to support maternal positions during the second stage of labour. SETTING:  Midwives working in the maternity ward in a public hospital in South Africa. METHODS:  A qualitative descriptive design using individual interviews was used to collect data. The participants were selected using the purposive sampling method. The study population comprised 20 midwives who volunteered to participate in the study. Data were transcribed manually and analysed using thematic analysis. RESULTS:  The four main themes are as follows: (1) Caring for women from various ethnic groups, (2) midwives disregard women's beliefs and culture, (3) midwife personal cultural attributes and (4) midwifery unit workplace culture. CONCLUSION:  The authors concluded that culturally appropriate care towards the women's choices of birth position during the second stage of labour should form an integral part of the midwifery care rendered.

Factors hindering midwives' utilisation of alternative birth positions during labour in a selected public hospital.

BACKGROUND: An evidence-based practice suggests that the birth position adopted by women during labour has a significant impact on the maternal and neonatal birth outcomes. The birth positions are endorsed by guidelines of maternity care in South Africa, which documented that women in labour should be allowed to select the birth position of their choice, preferably alternative birth positions (including upright, kneeling, squatting and lateral positions) during labour. Thus, the lithotomy birth position should be avoided. However, despite available literature, midwives routinely position women in the lithotomy position during normal vertex births, which causes several adverse maternal outcomes (namely prolonged labour, postpartum haemorrhage) and adverse neonatal outcomes (such as foetal asphyxia and respiratory compromise). AIM: The aim was to explore and describe factors hindering midwives' utilisation of alternative birth positions during labour in a selected public hospital. SETTING: A public hospital in the Tshwane district, Pretoria were used in the study. METHODS: This study used the qualitative, exploratory and descriptive research design. This design gathered quality information on factors hindering midwives' utilisation of alternative birth positions during labour in a selected public hospital. RESULTS: The study revealed the following themes: (1) midwives' perceptions on alternative use of birth positions and (2) barriers to utilisation of alternative birth positions. The themes were discussed and validated through the use of a literature review. CONCLUSION: The lack of skills and training during the midwifery undergraduate and postgraduate programme contributes to the midwives being incompetent to utilise alternative birth positions during clinical practice.

Factors hindering midwives' utilisation of alternative birth positions during labour in a selected public hospital

Background: An evidence-based practice suggests that the birth position adopted by women during labour has a significant impact on the maternal and neonatal birth outcomes. The birth positions are endorsed by guidelines of maternity care in South Africa, which documented that women in labour should be allowed to select the birth position of their choice, preferably alternative birth positions (including upright, kneeling, squatting and lateral positions) during labour. Thus, the lithotomy birth position should be avoided. However, despite available literature, midwives routinely position women in the lithotomy position during normal vertex births, which causes several adverse maternal outcomes (namely prolonged labour, postpartum haemorrhage) and adverse neonatal outcomes (such as foetal asphyxia and respiratory compromise). Aim: The aim was to explore and describe factors hindering midwives' utilisation of alternative birth positions during labour in a selected public hospital. Setting: A public hospital in the Tshwane district, Pretoria were used in the study. Methods: This study used the qualitative, exploratory and descriptive research design. This design gathered quality information on factors hindering midwives' utilisation of alternative birth positions during labour in a selected public hospital. Results: The study revealed the following themes: (1) midwives' perceptions on alternative use of birth positions and (2) barriers to utilisation of alternative birth positions. The themes were discussed and validated through the use of a literature review. Conclusion: The lack of skills and training during the midwifery undergraduate and postgraduate programme contributes to the midwives being incompetent to utilise alternative birth positions during clinical practice