Tuberculosis of the cervical spine

No Abstract

Academic writing in global open distance learning : case studies of an MBA programme in Ethiopia, Russia and the UK.

The study was motivated by my own experiences as a speaker of English as a second language (ESL) who has studied and taught high school courses produced in the UK, which Kachru (1988) classifies as the ‘inner’ circle, to students in the ‘outer’ circle in Swaziland. The central focus in this study is students’ academic writing in English in an open distance Master of Business Administration (MBA) programme provided by the Open University (OU) UK, in different parts of the world to students from diverse cultural, geographical, linguistic and educational backgrounds. The main focus of this study is students’ academic writing in the medium of English in the contexts of Ethiopia, Russia and the United Kingdom. In order to explore students’ writing and their experiences of engaging in such writing, I draw on recent studies which view reading, writing, and other aspects of communication as fundamentally social activities. In order to explore their writing in its social context, I draw on a range of data sources: students’ written assignments, interviews with students and tutors, pro-formas, and course materials. The central argument in this thesis is that speakers of English as a foreign language (EFL) and speakers of English as a second language (ESL) studying an open distance course in their diverse local contexts may be disadvantaged in a number of ways; in terms of their resources for writing, their understanding and experience of English, their background knowledge and the inapplicability of course concepts in their contexts. The study also highlights tensions surrounding the provision of UK based courses to students in different parts of the world and acknowledges the difficulties of developing courses which are accessible and relevant to diverse groups

Measuring fiscal incidence and its redistributive impact in Swaziland

According to Swaziland's National Development Strategy, the country's objectives are to improve the standard of living of all citizens, eradicate poverty, create employment, enhance gender equality and improve the country's human development ranking from a low human development rank to a high human development rank by 2022. Persistent poverty and the unequal distribution of income have, however, posed significant challenges for the country in achieving these development goals. This study assessed the extent to which the government of Swaziland has been able to use its fiscal policy, in particular the tax and public expenditure policies on health and education, to redistribute resources and reduce income inequality. The study also investigated the incidence of out-of-pocket expenses incurred by households in accessing public health and education facilities. Based on both the Swaziland Household Income and Expenditure Survey data collected in the 2010 national survey and the government's 2010 budget, the study found that the tax policy had had a slight redistributive effect, as the Gini coefficient, had dropped from 0.7909 (pre-tax income distribution) to 0.7424 (post-tax income distribution). Public expenditure on education improved the income of poor households by 32.83 per cent and had led to a further reduction in the Gini to 0.7185; however, public expenditure on tertiary education was poorly targeted as rich households were deriving a higher benefit than poor households. Out-of-pocket expenses on health were not regressive despite the fact that there was a low usage of health facilities by the low income households. On the other hand, education out-of-pocket expenses were found to be regressive and had a negative impact on the progression rates from primary education to higher learning institutions in the low income households. Overall it would appear that the country's fiscal policy has led to a reduction in the country's income inequality. However, the country has not made significant progress towards the achievement of its development goals, with the 2010 national household survey revealing that the poverty rate was still relatively high at 0.630, while the 2010 labour force survey revealed that unemployment was still high at 0.406 and the 2014 human development report showed that the country was still ranked low in terms of human development

Identifying the factors that affect the provision of water to households in the Free State Province

A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Commerce, Administration and Law in fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Masters Of Commerce (MCom) in the Department of Economics at the University Of Zululand, 2018The deterioration of water infrastructure leads to a reduction in economic growth and poor health for the citizens. Decision makers in local government prefer to prioritise above ground infrastructure and neglect critical underground infrastructure issues such as maintenance of water pipelines. As a result, this study used archival data to investigate the factors that increase the probability of water supply disruptions in the Free State Province. It also used a survey questionnaire to assess the perceptions of senior municipality officials involved in the water division with regards to the causes of frequent water disruptions. The study found out that poor maintenance, ageing infrastructure and low dam levels and a high proportion of poor households increase the probability of frequent water disruptions

The effect of a surgical safety checklist on mortality, morbidity and cancellation at a South African Tertiary Institute Orthopaedic Department

No Abstrac

Food insecurity is associated with increased risk of non-adherence to antiretroviral therapy among HIV-infected adults in the Democratic Republic of Congo: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Food insecurity is increasingly reported as an important barrier of patient adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) in both resource-poor and rich settings. However, unlike in resource rich-settings, very few quantitative studies to date have investigated the association of food insecurity with patient adherence to ART in Sub-Saharan Africa. The current study examines the association between food insecurity and adherence to ART among HIV-infected adults in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). METHODS AND FINDINGS: This is a cross-sectional quantitative study of patients receiving ART at three private and one public health facilities in Kinshasa, DRC. Participants were consecutively recruited into the study between April and November 2012. Adherence was measured using a combined method coupling pharmacy refill and self-reported adherence. Food insecurity was the primary predictor, and was assessed using the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS). Of the 898 participants recruited into the study, 512 (57%) were food insecure, and 188 (20.9%) were not adherent to ART. Food insecurity was significantly associated with non-adherence to ART (AOR, 2.06; CI, 1.38-3.09). We also found that perceived harmfulness of ART and psychological distress were associated respectively with increased (AOR, 1.95; CI, 1.15-3.32) and decreased (AOR, 0.31; CI, 0.11-0.83) odds of non-adherence to ART. CONCLUSION: Food insecurity is prevalent and a significant risk factor for non-adherence to ART among HIV-infected individuals in the DRC. Our findings highlight the urgent need for strategies to improve food access among HIV-infected on ART in order to ensure patient adherence to ART and ultimately the long-term success of HIV treatment in Sub-Saharan Africa

The chemical composition of leaves from indigenous fodder trees in South Africa

(South African J of Animal Science, 2000, 30, Supplement 1: 72-73

The chemical composition and potential nutritive value of the foliage of four subtropical tree species in southern Africa for ruminants

The foliage of three Combretum species, C. apiculatum, C. molle and C. zeyheri, as well as that of Colophospermum mopane was collected over a period of two years. The chemical composition, in vitro organic matter digestibility (IVOMD) and the rumen degradability of dry matter (DM) and nitrogen (N) were determined on these samples. Mean values for crude protein (CP) concentration varied from 92 g/kg DM for C. molle to 141 mg/kg DM for C. mopane, the neutral detergent fibre concentration from 323 g/kg DM for C. apiculatum to 392 g/kg DM for C. molle and that of acid detergent fibre from 247 g/kg DM for C. apiculatum to 355 g/kg DM for C. molle. The calcium (Ca) concentration in the foliage was high (8-16 g/kg DM) compared to the phosphorus (P) concentrations of between 0.8-2.1 g/kg DM, resulting in an average Ca: P ratio of 9.3: 1. The foliage contained relatively low levels of sodium (Na), 0.041 g/kg DM, based on beef cattle standards. The IVOMD ranged from 53% for C. mopane to 64% C. apiculatum and the rumen degradability of DM from 78% for C. molle to 94% for C. apiculatum. The DM degradability was substantially higher than that of nitrogen, which varied between 47% for C. apiculatum and 60% for C. zeyheri. It was concluded that the foliage tested would not be suitable sources of N to supplement protein deficiencies in low quality herbage. Furthermore, browsers would require additional sources of P and Na to avoid deficiencies in these elements. Keywords: Leaves, Combretum species, Mopane, Ruminal degradability, In vitro digestibility, Browse South African Journal of Animal Science Vol.33(2) 2003: 132-14

Internal democracy in the ANC or, did the Polokwane Revolt challenge Michels' "Iron law of oligarchy?"

Can political parties be democratic? This is one of the larger theoretical questions that have to be asked. The ANC has been the governing party for the last fifteen years in a democratic South Africa. For the last fifteen years the ANC has ruled with a majority, reaching the symbolic two-thirds majority in the 2004 elections, which it subsequently narrowly lost in the 2009 elections. Internal party democracy is particularly important in states that are dominated by one party, where there fewer effective ways of keeping the government accountable. The ANC has exhibited worrying trends over the last fifteen years towards suppressing dissent in the party, despite its constitution stating that members can raise their grievances within party structures. In a state dominated by a single party, as in South Africa, internal battles within the ruling party play out in the public realm. We have seen public institutions like the NPA and the SABC being used by various factions within the ANC to settle ‘political scores’ and more importantly to stop challenges posed to the current leaders of one faction. The manipulation of these institutions by elected leaders does not bode well for the country. Internal democracy issues have thus become issues for the entire countr