Public
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11910/1569
2024-03-29T12:26:26ZTransitioning the informal to the formal economy: a measure to assess readiness and progress
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11910/23246
Transitioning the informal to the formal economy: a measure to assess readiness and progress
This policy brief proposes an indicator framework for measuring formalisation capability, based on an empirically derived understanding of the complex business evolution pathways of informal businesses. The framework identifies a set of conditions that enable informal businesses to operate sustainably in the formal sector, what we call 'sustainable formalisation'.
HSRC Policy Brief, February
2024-03-28T00:00:00ZViewpoint: addressing the double-burden of malnutrition among children and adolescents in sub-Saharan Africa
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11910/19995
Viewpoint: addressing the double-burden of malnutrition among children and adolescents in sub-Saharan Africa
Most undernourished people in Africa are in the sub-Saharan region, and hunger has been on the rise since 2014. The number of undernourished people is especially critical in the Eastern and Middle subregions, reaching 27% and 29% of the total population, respectively, as of 2019.1 Undernutrition and micronutrient deficiencies, however, are not the only nutrition concerns; in 2016, 24% of all overweight children under five in the world were also from Africa, with rates increasing among adolescents and young women. The state of malnutrition in sub-Saharan Africa exemplifies the double burden of malnutrition, with a high prevalence of undernutrition and increasing obesity. Both conditions contribute to diet-related non-communicable diseases (NCDs).2 At this rate, it is unlikely that the sub-Saharan Africa region will achieve the Sustainable Development Goals of ending hunger and all forms of malnutrition by 2030.
2023-03-08T00:00:00ZBarriers, facilitators, and strategies to improve participation of a couple-based intervention to address women's antiretroviral therapy adherence in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11910/20316
Barriers, facilitators, and strategies to improve participation of a couple-based intervention to address women's antiretroviral therapy adherence in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
Couple-based interventions (CBIs), despite strong efcacy in improving numerous HIV risk behaviors, are not widely available and have not been tested to improve women's antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence. We examined barriers and facilitators to participation in a CBI based on cognitive behavioral couple therapy for women's ART adherence in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with women with HIV (n=15) and men of mixed HIV status (n=15). Thematic analyses were guided by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research. Facilitators mostly related to the couple's relationship, including having an existing healthy relationship, men's desire to support their partners, and a potential opportunity for men's HIV disclosure. Barriers included a lack of understanding of how a CBI approach would be useful for women's ART adherence, sole focus on women if male partners were also living with HIV, and men's lack of prior HIV status disclosure to female partners. Findings indicate that relationship context and the male partner's HIV status need to be addressed during recruitment, enrolment, and during the intervention to promote uptake.
2023-03-28T00:00:00ZXenophobia in South Africa: can this morph into genocide?
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11910/22814
Xenophobia in South Africa: can this morph into genocide?
It is now well known that genocide does not occur overnight. It develops gradually over time and gains momentum, as tell-tale signs such as hate speech, insults, incitement, discrimination, dehumanisation and assaults are often deliberately ignored. Although the South African government has primarily been in denial about acknowledging this challenge, xenophobia is one of the most serious problems in the country. Across the political and ideological spectrum in South Africa, in many cases the language used by government ministers, bureaucrats and those responsible for essential services at the local level (e.g., health care) have been blatantly xenophobic. There is a tendency to stigmatise immigrants as criminals, as people who undermine economic development and take jobs from locals. This has fuelled prejudicial attitudes towards immigrants, particularly those from other African countries. These are important antecedent indicators that can anticipate the potential and serve as a catalyst for violence against targeted groups.
2024-01-19T00:00:00Z