University of KwaZulu-Natal

Psychometric Evaluation of the Serbian MacNew Heart Disease Health-Related Quality of Life Questionnaire Before and After Elective Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting

Background/Objectives: To evaluate the psychometric properties of the MacNew Heart Disease Health-Related Quality of Life Questionnaire (MacNew HRQL) in patients who underwent elective coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in Serbia. Methods: Recruitment of participants was orga...

Learning from social assessments of innovative non-sewered sanitation in eThekwini

As non-sewered sanitation (NSS) is being designed, developed, tested and rolled out, there is widespread support for the integration of social science. Yet what, precisely, social science can and should do remains much less clear. This paper explains the specific approach of soci...

Psychometric analysis of an intersectional stigma scale for women who have experienced intimate partner violence in Botswana

Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) is pervasive in Botswana. IPV stigma may affect the mental health of women survivors. We developed and validated a new scale for intersectional stigma for women who experienced IPV in Botswana. We used a known-groups design. With interviews held in...

Comparative Energy and Exergy Analyses of Single-Mode and Combined Drying Methods for Orange-Fleshed Sweet Potato

Orange-fleshed sweet potato is valued for its high β-carotene content, a precursor of vitamin A. It is a highly perishable storage root due to its high moisture content, which contributes to rapid deterioration after harvesting. Therefore, it requires drying for preservation and...

Child health service coverage estimation using routine health data from Ghana’s Eastern Region

Abstract Background Suboptimal resource allocation limits uptake of essential health services in sub-Saharan Africa. Reliable population denominators and coverage estimates are needed to better match health facility resources to local demand. An estimation approach utilising rout...

Phage Therapy and Phage-Derived Lytic Proteins in the One Health Era: Mechanisms, Challenges and Emerging Innovations

Antimicrobial resistance is a critical global health threat, as conventional antibiotics are increasingly ineffective against multidrug-resistant (MDR) pathogens, particularly ESKAPE organisms. In response, bacteriophages and their derived lytic proteins, including endolysins, ho...

Targeting Gut Microbiota, Inflammation, and Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: Therapeutic Strategies and the Emerging Role of Time-Restricted Feeding

Time-restricted feeding has emerged as a promising non-pharmacological intervention for the management of metabolic disorders, particularly type 2 diabetes mellitus and its associated complications. Time-restricted feeding involves restricting food intake to a specific daily eati...

From Divergent Pathogenesis to Precision Medicine: The Road to Targeted Therapy in HIV-Associated and HIV-Unrelated Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the most common and biologically heterogeneous subtype of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. While immunochemotherapy has improved outcomes, survival remains variable due to substantial molecular diversity. In people living with HIV (PLWH), DLBCL is th...

Mental Health Outcomes Among Transgender People in South Africa During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of Service Disruptions and Social, Structural, and Relational Correlates

Purpose: We examined how sociodemographic, structural, and violence-related factors and disruptions in HIV services and gender-affirming care (GAC: nonmedical supplies, therapy/counseling, medications/hormones, surgeries) were associated with suicidal ideation and moderate/severe...

Willingness to Participate in HIV Cure Research Among Young People Living with Perinatally Acquired HIV in the Centre Region of Cameroon: A Cross-Sectional Survey

Young people living with perinatally acquired HIV (YPLHIV) represent a unique population for HIV cure research, offering opportunities to assess interventions in a group for whom adherence to antiretroviral treatment (ART) is particularly challenging. Understanding their perspect...

Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Prevalence of Mental Disorders and Suicidality Among Children and Adolescents Living with HIV in South Africa

Abstract Despite progress in HIV prevention and treatment, global data suggests that youth living with HIV remain at risk of mental disorders and suicidality. However, reliable epidemiological data from South Africa (SA) are limited. We conducted a systematic review and meta-anal...

Maternal healthcare quality, continuity, and experiences among pregnant adolescents and adult women in Ethiopia, Kenya, and South Africa: A cohort study

The capacity of health systems to provide quality care for pregnant adolescents remains underexplored. This study examined the quality, continuity, and experiences of maternal healthcare among pregnant adolescents (<20 years) compared with adult women (20 + years) in Ethiopia, Ke...

An exploration of multilevel factors influencing the uptake of strengthened integrated depression care as part of routine primary health care services in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

In the context of a large treatment gap for depression in South Africa, integration of depression care into routine primary health care (PHC) using task sharing provides a potential strategy to enhance access to mental health care. The aim of this study was to understand multilev...

Integrating spatial analytics and explainable machine learning to analyse multi-pollutant mortality burdens in Africa

Abstract Air pollution in Africa is a critical public health problem that has claimed many lives, especially in places where urbanisation and vehicle emissions are increasing. The present study used spatial analysis and a hybrid Genetic Algorithm–Machine Learning (GA–ML) approach...

Temporal proximity to counseling is associated with longitudinal bedaquiline and antiretroviral therapy adherence in multidrug-resistant tuberculosis and HIV treatment

Background Medication adherence is a persistent challenge in the treatment of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) and HIV. Routine counseling notes are an underutilized source of information on patient adherence context. Methods We applied natural language processing (NLP)...

GRETA: a results database for whole-genome sequencing studies

Whole-genome sequencing in large cohorts generates vast numbers of genetic association results, but integrating and querying them alongside public reference data remains a challenge for the diverse stakeholders involved. To address this challenge, we developed the Genetic REsults...

Human CD1c-autoreactive T-cells recognise Mycobacterium tuberculosis-infected antigen-presenting cells and display cytotoxic effector programmes

Tuberculosis (TB), caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), remains the leading cause of death from infection globally yet the contribution of non-classical T-cell pathways to human immunity remains poorly defined. CD1c-autoreactive T-cells, which recognise self-lipids present...

Transforming Agricultural Water Management for Healthy People and Planet: Thinking Beyond Water

ABSTRACT This paper develops the concept of Thinking Beyond Water , a transdisciplinary paradigm that reframes agricultural water management (AWM) as a systems catalyst for planetary health, equity, justice and resilience. Moving beyond conventional irrigation‐centric models, we...

Decolonization and White Africans: The “Winds of Change,” Resistance, and Beyond

It is difficult to condense my feelings towards P. Eric Louw’s book: Decolonization and White Africans: the “winds of change,” resistance, and beyond. It contains highly interesting ideas from a pe...

Extensive Use of Ageing Fence Poles in a Protected Area in South Africa by Reptiles and Birds

ABSTRACT Formal protected area management often requires fences and roads, and these can have negative impacts on animals. During many visits to Ndumo Game Reserve, in northwestern KwaZulu‐Natal, South Africa, the authors noticed substantial numbers of several species of reptiles...