Answering audiologists’ pleas

Counselling guidelines can be a useful tool for audiologists who are unsure about how to provide the best information to their clients. Audiologists are usually the first professionals who provide informational counselling to families when a person is diagnosed with being deaf or hard of hearing. However, due to a lack in their experience and the absence of an informational counselling...
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Informed consent: Voluntary or undue influence?

Health researchers need to ensure that participating in health research is lawful and meaningful. The role and importance of understanding external factors in the definition of what is good clinical research practice remains somewhat of an under-researched novelty. To read more of Thandeka Nkosi’s article, click here.
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Improving access to STGs at PHC level

Online guidelines aimed at providing quality care at state healthcare facilities are difficult to use in rural areas. The vast majority of South Africa’s citizens are dependent on the public healthcare system. Primary healthcare (PHC) clinics are usually their first port of call. To read more of Tashni Govenders’ article, click here.
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Communication matters in healthcare

Clinical communication skills are a key component of good healthcare and should be integrated into training programmes. The South African healthcare system has seen a major transformation in how it is organised and how care is provided at a primary healthcare (PHC) level. There has been a shift from reactive care to care that is more preventative and person-centred. To read more of Dr Ruwayda...
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Playtime is not just for fun

A new guideline provides a way to help children to get back to normal fun and games at home, at school and in their neighbourhoods. Children want to play, teachers want to let children out onto the playground and parents want their children to be playing in a safe environment. Play in the form of any physical activities, games or sport promotes physical and mental well-being. To read more of...
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Community-based physiotherapy training

A decentralised clinical training model for physiotherapists helps them to adapt to real-world environments much quicker. South Africans living in rural areas are in desperate need of rehabilitation services, such as physiotherapy. Physiotherapists are an essential part of the primary healthcare team and play a vital role in the early detection, prevention and treatment of many medical...
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Vaccine hesitancy threatens an end to the COVID-19 pandemic

Rising vaccine hesitancy is causing a longer and more difficult road to achieving global immunity. The only way to save lives during the COVID-19 pandemic is through the rapid vaccination of a large proportion of the population. Although the vaccination rollout is underway in most countries, vaccine uptake is slow. To read more of Dr Velisha Perumal-Pillays’ article, click...
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Being schooled on COVID-19 vaccines

Combating fake news and addressing concerns around vaccines may help protect teachers against COVID. The South African government has made vaccination of the nation’s educators a recent priority to improve the crippling impact COVID-19 has had on the educational system. To read more of Dr Varsha Bangalees’ article, click here.
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Learning to grow old with HIV

Exercise may just be the wonder drug for people ageing with HIV. Antiretroviral therapy (ART) has increased the longevity of people living with HIV. At the same time, however, it is associated with a constellation of health problems and physical impairments that can greatly affect functional activities and overall quality of life. To read more of Mr Levin Chettys’ article, click...
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Don’t let cervical cancer silence your world

Treatment for cervical cancer is likely to result in hearing loss, which should be treated proactively. Cervical cancer, an AIDS-defining illness, is the second most common type of cancer affecting women in South Africa. The use of brachytherapy and cisplatin chemotherapy can successfully treat the condition. However, cisplatin can cause hearing loss, due to its ability to be retained in the...
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COVID-19: What came first – vaccine or infection?

Combating vaccine hesitancy starts with stopping the spread of vaccine misinformation. A South African survey conducted in April-May 2021 showed a decrease in vaccine hesitancy as compared with February-March 2021. Reasons for hesitancy varied from feared side effects to conspiracy theories. These are slowly subsiding through vaccine campaign efforts and the actions of heads of communities. To...
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The burning truth about epilepsy

Access to adequate epilepsy treatment can prevent large numbers of debilitating adult burns. The prevalence of epilepsy in low-resource countries is high. In these settings, epilepsy is also often left untreated. A large South African study showed that only 14% of epileptic patients were on regular antiepileptic medicine. To read more of Dr. Shelley Walls’ article, click...
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