Background: The phenomenon of healthcare and social struggles among sex workers in communities of South Africa is a critical concern. Sex workers are often stigmatised, discriminated against, and violated. This study stems from the observation that sex workers experience daily healthcare and social challenges due to their line of work. This involves prejudice and stigma from the general public and medical professionals. Despite government efforts to raise the calibre of healthcare services, some healthcare systems remain problematic. Objective: The study intended to critically review the publications on public health problems and barriers faced by sex workers. Methodology: The systematic review methodology was used in the investigation. Identification of the problem, literature search, data evaluation, data analysis, and presentation were the five stages of the systematic review that were carried out. The following electronic databases were used to conduct a thorough search of the literature from 2013 to 2022: CINAHL, Medline, PubMed, JStore, and Embase. The search phrases included “sex workers,” “health problems,” “barriers,” “experiences,” “challenges,” “Mental Health,” and “systematic review”. Studies that were published prior to 2013 did not focus on the challenges, barriers, and social and health problems of sex workers and were not reported in English were excluded. Following the critical review evaluation, 30 studies were selected for this study out of a total of 85 studies. The categories were constructed using Creswell's Tesch method of data analysis. Results: The analysis yielded two themes and seven subthemes: (1) public social problems that sex workers must navigate, including violence, criminalisation of sex work, stigma, prejudice, and linguistic and cultural hurdles, (2) high rates of HIV and STIs, a lack of comprehensive knowledge of reproductive and health issues, problems with mental health, and challenging access to care are some examples of the complexity of public healthcare. Conclusion: A multipronged approach, including legal reform, destigmatisation, and increased access to healthcare and social support services, is required to address the healthcare and social struggles of sex workers.

Background: Pregnancy and childbirth are supposed to give a new beautiful meaning to life and it is a time of enormous delight and anticipation for both the women and their families. In these times, not only a baby is born, but a mother is born. However, inaccessibility and delays in obstetric care remain a common concern, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Digital health technologies are being implemented to improve healthcare access worldwide, but there is a lack of documented data on available digital triage interventions. This article sought to examine and critique existing digital triage interventions in the healthcare system with reference to obstetrics. Methods: Adopting a scoping review approach, using the five iterative steps proposed by Arksey and O'Malley, approximately 17 studies retrieved from databases like PubMed, Elsevier, EBSCohost, and google scholar were reviewed. Only the literature from 2014–2024 was included. Results: The review revealed that there are various types of digital triage interventions. However, they are flooded with weaknesses and threats among of which are diagnosis inaccuracy, insufficient information, and shortage of resources. Conclusions: The study recommends that strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats should not be overlooked, particularly when aiming to leverage digital health to improve access to emergency care in maternity units through digital triage. However, they should serve as a reference for the development of optimal digital triage systems for maternity and emergency units. Furthermore, the findings should also be a benchmark for digital triaging improvement strategies in the healthcare context.

Background: Triage in healthcare involves the process of prioritizing patients in their level of urgency and also the allocation of resources. However, triage has been used mainly in emergency departments around the world. Only in recent years have triage systems been gradually implemented in maternity units. It is a relatively new concept in maternity units and its landscape is not properly understood. Objective: The study aimed to explore the understanding and practices of triage by midwives working in the labour wards of selected district hospitals in Mpumalanga province, South Africa. Methods and Materials: A qualitative, exploratory, and descriptive research design was used to explore the practices and understanding of midwives regarding labour ward triage. A purposive sampling method was used to select experienced midwives who work in labour wards. The sample size was directed by data saturation, reached at the 20^th participant. The data were then analysed using thematic analysis. Trustworthiness was ensured through the Lincoln and Guba criteria (1985). Results: Two themes emerged regarding midwives' understanding and practices of triage namely, a nuanced understanding of triage in the labour wards and a description of existing triage practices of midwives. The themes were interpreted into five sub-themes. Conclusion: The study revealed that the absence of triage systems in maternity units delays obstetric care, contributing to poor maternal and perinatal outcomes and rising litigation in South Africa. The findings call for the National Department of Health to strengthen triage policies and guidelines and suggest co-designing a triage system with midwives to enhance implementation and feasibility.

Background: In the early decades, triage systems were universally implemented in accident and emergency departments. However, in recent years, various maternity triage systems, including digital technology triage models, have been gradually employed to evaluate the urgency of arriving pregnant women in maternity units. These systems face practice challenges, especially in South Africa, where data on triaging practices in maternity units are scarce, particularly in Mpumalanga province. Hence, this study seeks to identify and describe the practice challenges influencing the triaging of expectant mothers by midwives working in the maternity units of Mpumalanga province.Methods: A qualitative, exploratory descriptive design underpinned this study. The maximum variation purposive sampling technique was used to select midwives working in the maternity units of Mpumalanga province. Semi-structured interviews were conducted for data collection, and data saturation was reached and confirmed with the 20th participant. Thematic analysis was employed for data analysis.Results: The study highlighted that the triaging of expectant mothers by midwives is plagued by numerous practice challenges. Among these challenges were a shortage of resources, poor infrastructure, and incompetence among midwives. Nonetheless, the most concerning practice challenge was poor leadership, evidenced by the midwives’ viewpoints that there is a lack of support, whether informational (triage policies/protocols) or psychological.Conclusion: These findings suggest a need to rethink healthcare service delivery priorities to enable a clinical environment that improves the provision of quality care. Therefore, urgent action is required to develop context-specific triage protocols and guidelines for maternity units in Mpumalanga province. Moreover, multifaceted support programs aimed at empowering midwives and fostering a blame-free, non-toxic environment should be designed and implemented. Addressing the identified challenges will not only improve the provision of care but will also enhance the patient experience.

Background: In the reforming world, with the expeditious development of urbanisation and industrialisation; environmental issues have become a global crisis that requires immediate interventions and has posed a major threat to the health of the population. Air pollution is identified as one of the major environmental health hazards. However, there is a dearth of comprehensive data on the public health impact of waste-related air pollution in Africa. Thus, this scoping review seeks to explore and describe the effects of waste-related air pollution on public health in Africa. Methods: We followed the 2018 PRISMA Scoping Review Guidelines for reporting this review. We browsed literature from 2014 to 2024 using keywords such as “Air pollution”, “Health impact” and “Africa”. From the yielded potential literature, only 23 studies were eligible for the review. Results: The review revealed four themes. Among the themes are sources of pollution, pollutants of air pollution, understanding the health impact of air pollution among the vulnerable population, and factors impeding the mitigation of air pollution. Conclusion: The review revealed the sources and the health effects of air pollution. It underscored the role that socio-economic injustices, corruptions, and political issues have in exacerbating air pollution, particularly in rural areas. Therefore, this study recommends the development and implementation of innovative improvement strategies to remediate air pollution in remote areas of Africa.