South African medical journal = Suid-Afrikaanse tydskrif vir geneeskunde
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Many impoverished communities in South Africa (SA) simultaneously face multiple preventable socioenvironmental hazards associated with elevated burdens of ill health. One such hazard is failure to institute effective buffer zones between human settlements and point sources of pollution such as airports and industrial zones. ⋯ The study highlights a scenario of a triple environmental hazard to health in the study communities: (i) poverty; (ii) poor-quality housing; and (iii) lack of an effective buffer zone between the study communities and local point sources of pollution. Respiratory ill-health conditions were significantly associated with poverty, household composition and living conditions.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
Substance use and depressive and anxiety symptoms among out-of-school adolescent girls and young women in Cape Town, South Africa.
There is a high prevalence of substance use among youth in South Africa (SA), and adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) experience high rates of depression and anxiety. Substance use behaviours and mental health are associated with other public health problems among AGYW such as HIV and unintended pregnancy. Therefore, understanding the relationship between substance use and mental health is imperative to improve AGYW's health. ⋯ Our findings highlight the need to address substance use, especially Mandrax use and its associated risk, and depression in an integrated, youth-friendly setting.
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Comparative Study
Dose-related treatment outcomes in South African patients prescribed clofazimine for drug-resistant tuberculosis.
Optimal drug levels and minimal toxicity are critical factors in improving treatment outcomes for patients' prescribed new and repurposed medicine for drug-resistant (DR) tuberculosis (TB). The optimal dose of clofazimine (CFZ), a repurposed medicine for DR-TB, that is safe and effective in the South African (SA) population is unknown. ⋯ Dose-weight interaction plays a role in the odds of a successful outcome. There is an association between dose-weight interactions, outcomes and adverse events. Weight-based dosing in patients <50 kg and ≥50 kg must be considered to achieve optimal treatment outcomes and reduce adverse events. Active drug safety monitoring must be implemented as a package of care for patients receiving CFZ as part of a DR-TB treatment regimen.
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Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among people living with HIV/AIDS can facilitate the spread of HIV. ⋯ STIs are common in HIV-infected patients who are receiving ART. While both ART and the syndromic management of STIs are high-impact interventions for controlling the spread of HIV, closer monitoring of STI occurrences is warranted, particularly among immunologically vulnerable patients.
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Namaqualand hip dysplasia (NHD) is a mild form of spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia in which progressive arthropathy of the hip joint is a major manifestation. The disorder was documented in a multigenerational South African (SA) family with antecedents from Namaqualand, a region in the north-west of the country. Linkage analysis revealed a locus that includes the collagen type II gene, COL2A1. ⋯ It is now possible to provide a molecular diagnosis of NHD before hip problems present. The large, clinically well-characterised NHD family is a valuable resource that could provide more insight into the mechanisms responsible for the variable expression observed in individuals with this variant.