Using local language improves the quality of healthcare and patient safety but little has been done to understand and use local language in naming and defining conditions such as dysmenorrhea. Many...

The African Journal of Primary Health & Family Medicine welcomes submissions that encourage scholarly exchange between family medicine and primary health care researchers and practitioners across Africa and the developing world, whilst providing a contextual and holistic view of family medicine as practiced across the continent.

Introduction. The placenta, or afterbirth, plays a vital role in supplying nutrients and oxygen via the umbilical cord. Western medicine sees the placenta as a medical waste and discards it after delivery. Meanwhile, indigenous groups observe rituals or ceremonies prior to their disposal since it bears sacred importance. Aim. The aim of the literature review is to review the current literature on indigenous methods of disposing placenta. Methods. Through the EBSCOhost search engine, the authors had access to the following databases: CINAHL; MEDLINE; E-Journals; Health Sources: Nursing/Academic Edition; Scopus; and African Journals Online. A manual search of the grey literature through Google Scholar and Google Search engines, as well as citation searching using reference lists, was also used. The following keyword searches came up: placental disposal, placental waste, placental release, indigenous placental disposal, traditional placental disposal, cultural placenta, and placental rituals. The authors followed the inclusion criteria of qualitative, quantitative, or mixed research articles or reports from experts and different organisations published between 2013 and 2022 in English. Findings. The following three themes with subthemes emerged in the context of this review paper: (1) placental consumption (increases milk production, prevents postpartum depression, and prevents postpartum bleeding); (2) placental burial (burial site determines the childs fate, protection of the child, and fertility); and 3). artifacts (memorabilia). Conclusion. Indigenous placental disposal methods have a significant value to Indigenous women globally. The rituals performed have a special meaning attached to them. It is important for Western medicine to respect and support indigenous placental disposal methods and ensure safe handling from the healthcare facilities to their homes.

The screening of patients in the community is important and is a commonly used indicator to detect, prevent, and treat abnormal health changes. As such, the South African Department of Health following the initiative of the World Health Organization has appointed ward-based community health care workers through a primary health care reengineering program. The main objective of their appointment was to screen household members to reduce the burden of diseases such as diabetes mellitus and hypertension. As such, the study investigated the importance of using non-communicable disease screening tools by ward-based community health care workers in South Africa. A qualitative, exploratory, and descriptive design was used. A non-probability purposive sampling method was used to select forty participants from primary health care facilities. Four focus group discussions were held with ten participants in each group. Semi-structured focus group discussions were held with participants in their workplaces. Content data analysis was applied to come up with one theme and six subthemes. The study findings revealed that the use of screening tools facilitated comprehensive household assessments, helped identify risk factors and symptoms, and facilitated health education and patient referrals. The continuous supply of screening tools and updates on their use was recommended to reduce the rate and burden caused by non-communicable diseases to society at large.

Existing evidence indicates that South African university students have low utilisation of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT). A cross-sectional survey was conducted to determine the utilisation of HIV VCT among undergraduate students in the School of Healthcare Sciences. Structured questionnaires were used to collect data through Google Forms. The results are presented through descriptions and percentages and illustrated in tables. Out of 389 undergraduate students, only 324 completed the questionnaire. The majority (97.2%) were aware of the health centre on campus, while only (74.7%) knew about the HIV VCT services offered on campus. Despite the awareness, many (36.7%) do not utilise the campus HIV VCT services, and some (9.6%) have never tested for HIV. There was an association between awareness of Voluntary Counselling and Testing of HIV services offered at the campus health and wellness centre and utilisation of HIV Voluntary Counselling and Testing at (<0.001). Therefore, it is imperative to urgently escalate the level of HIV/AIDS education in higher institutions of learning and emphasise the mounting danger of HIV infection and the immense importance of regular HIV testing. The findings of this study could serve as a foundation for creating HIV prevention and control programmes for youth, particularly in higher education institutions.

Stigma is one of the documented barriers to achieving universal access to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and tuberculosis (TB) prevention, treatment, care, and support programs. The lack of African social theories to emphasize these issues may be the cause of the continent’s failure to reduce stigma. We can use Ubuntu, an African philosophy that emphasizes sociability and ethics, to deepen our understanding of how to reduce HIV- and TB-related stigma in South Africa. In many African regions, Ubuntu values and principles were found to assist in reducing problems related to HIV. Ubuntu is a comprehensive phrase used by Africans to signify the characteristics that incorporate the core human virtues of compassion and humanity. We explored the perceptions of nursing students regarding the use of Ubuntu in the fight against HIV and TB stigma. Qualitative participatory research was used to engage all first- and second-level nursing students enrolled for the 2023 academic year at the selected university in South Africa. Purposive sampling was used to recruit the participants. An interactive workshop was used to gather data. The data from the recordings and flip charts were analysed together. Throughout the study, trustworthiness and ethical principles were upheld. Two primary themes emerged as expressions of Ubuntu in relation to a reduction in HIV and TB stigma and recognition of Ubuntu as a tool to combat stigma associated with HIV and TB. This confirms that within Ubuntu, there are elements that might be applied to reduce stigma attached to HIV and TB.