A profile of Alexandra.

In this article publications on the demography and environmental and health status of Alexandra Township are reviewed and a demographic survey carried out in 1990 is reported. The demographic data presented in the article describe the age, sex and ethnic profile of the population. It also describes the health and disease status, provides some vital statistics, describes the health services and discusses the implications for the development of appropriate health care strategies. Approximately 19% of the population live in informal dwellings or shelters, 14% in the newly upgraded areas and 67% in old Alexandra. Mean household occupancy was 4.04 with a male/female (m/f) ratio of 0.86. It was 3.08 in informal dwellings (m/f = 1.11), 4.30 in the newly upgraded areas (m/f = 0.74) and 4.28 for Old Alex (m/f = 0.82). Old Alex had the highest proportion of inhabitants aged over 60 years. On average females have been resident in Alexandra for 16.8 years and males for 14.9 years.

Patients with sexually transmitted diseases at the Alexandra Health Centre and University Clinic.

The profile of patients with sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) attending a sex health education programme at the Alexandra Health Centre and University Clinic for the period 1 August 1989 - 31 July 1990 is reported. During the study period 5.195 (10%) of the total of 51,858 patients seen in the adult outpatients department were referred to the sex health education unit with an STD. Data on 5,017 STD patients (97%) are available and also information on a further 505 contacts of STD patients. A practice profile on all patients attending the adult outpatients departments was also collected. Data for the month of August 1990 were analysed and stratified according to either a STD diagnosis or any other diagnosis. Groups were then compared according to age, socio-economic classification, numbers of sexual partners, presence of ulcers, etc.

Developing a health information system for a primary health care centre in Alexandra, Johannesburg.

The development of a health information system, which went through 6 overlapping phases, appropriate for a primary health care centre at the Alexandra Health Centre and University Clinic (AHC) is reviewed. The three essential concepts were data, information and indicators. The system at the AHC moved from unused data to unused information and to operational indicators. It also moved from a concern with data and information to one concerned with communication of information. The way a health information system evolves is, to a large extent, a reflection of the information needed by the group that is planning the system. In the AHC information needs were initially felt by senior management and attempts to involve other staff failed because of lack of timely feedback and a lack of management skills at all levels. In the process of trying to involve people and of getting to the correct type and amount of information, it became obvious that a health information system is complex and involves data as the major outputs, with people being the common thread of the system.