Africa Centre for HIV/AIDS Management

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Browsing Africa Centre for HIV/AIDS Management by browse.metadata.advisor "Laas, Anja"

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    The attitudes of church members towards people living with HIV/AIDS in the church
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2012-03) Mudau, Raymond Ndikandafhi; Laas, Anja; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic and Management Science. Dept. of Industrial Psychology. Africa Centre for HIV/AIDS Management.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The aim of the research was to determine the attitudes of church members towards people living with HIV/AIDS at the Centre of Faith Bible Church in Limpopo Province at Ha-radali Village, Thohoyandou. A total of 15 participants from different church departments, age and educational background were interviewed. The research results revealed that the majority of the participants had positive attitudes towards people living with HIV/AIDS. The church members who indicated to have negative attitudes towards people living with HIV/AIDS were those without or with low level of education. The church is very silent when coming to HIV/AIDS issues and there is not enough HIV/AIDS awareness in the church. The church is not disseminating sufficient information on HIV/AIDS and they are not comfortable to talk about HIV/AIDS in the church services. Church members will continue to judge those who are living with HIV/AIDS in the church unless the church starts to talk about HIV/AIDS regularly.
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    Investigating the awareness of refugees and asylum seekers towards HIV-related social and support services available in Cape Town, South Africa
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2014-04) Umetor, Anthony Wovisike; Laas, Anja; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. Dept. of Industrial Psychology. Africa Centre for HIV/AIDS Management.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The aim of this study was to investigate the level of awareness of refugees and asylum seekers towards HIV-related social and support services available to them in Cape Town in order to provide guidelines that will help improve their optimal utilization of such services which will improve their quality of life. Data was collected by means of a self-administered questionnaire from 51 refugees and asylum seekers who are resident in Cape Town. The findings revealed that a very high percentage of participants have never tested for HIV in South Africa. Reasons given ranged from lack of HIV/AIDS information in a familiar language they understood to a lack of interest on the part of authorities in getting refugees to be integrated into the country’s health policies. The majority of participants responded that they have also not visited the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) offices in Cape Town and this UN organ has an important mandate which includes to protect, support and assist refugees in their voluntary repatriation, local integration of refugees and resettlement to a third country. The results of the study show a dearth of knowledge and their lack of awareness of such services. Services such as support groups for HIV positive persons are hardly mentioned in medical facilities where they attend and for the few who are aware of such services, their friends and family are the primary sources of such information. It is hoped that the results of this study could help the relevant bodies and authorities dealing with refugee`s welfare to reorganize and streamline their activities to ensure that refugees are aware of certain critical social support services that could enhance their quality of life in South Africa.
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    Investigation into the participation of students with disabilites in HIV and AIDS programmes at the University of Johannesburg
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2014-04) Ramafola, Pearl Berlinda; Laas, Anja; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. Dept. of Africa Centre for HIV/AIDS Management, Industrial Psychology.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: PURPOSE: The purpose of the study was to investigate the participation of students with disabilities on the HIV and AIDS programmes at the University of Johannesburg. METHOD: The researcher used the quantitative method, by administering questionnaires with mainly closed-ended questions and a limited number of open-ended questions to collect data from 40 participants of the University of Johannesburg’s four campuses. Students with disabilities have a support group called “DARE” (Demonstrating our Abilities and Recognizing Excellence) and the executive committee members of DARE distributed the questionnaires to some of the students, whilst other questionnaires were distributed at different campuses through the library and the primary health care facility. The study focused on knowledge about the existing policies and their applicability (HIV and AIDS policy, as well as the policy on people with disabilities), awareness and knowledge of existing HIV and AIDS programmes, participation on HIV programmes, barriers experienced by students in participation as well as ways to encourage students to participate in HIV initiatives. DATA ANALYSIS: Data was analyzed by means of the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) programme, using descriptive statistics. RESULTS: The study indicated that most participants were aware of the existing HIV and AIDS programmes on campus, and it was easy for them to access HIV and AIDS information. Despite this finding, the conclusion that can be drawn from the study is that the level of participation on HIV and AIDS programmes by students with disabilities at the University of Johannesburg is very low. CONCLUSION: The University of Johannesburg’s HIV and AIDS programmes have been well marketed on campus. However, involving students with disabilities in HIV committees, making HIV and AIDS policies fair and recruiting students with disabilities as peer educators, can help encourage participation of people with disabilities on HIV and AIDS programmes on campus.
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    The vulnerability factors to HIV transmission among long distance truck drivers working from Windhoek, Namibia
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2014-04) Majoni, Wilbert Kurauone; Laas, Anja; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. Dept. of Africa Centre for HIV/AIDS Management, Industrial Psychology.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Long distance truck drivers have been documented in many literatures as key in the spread of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). This generally is due to the nature of their work and the people they interact with, who are mainly commercial sex workers (CSW) and vulnerable and desperate young girls and women coming from marginalized backgrounds in order to find easy ways to survive through prostitution. The researcher managed to conduct a quantitative research project where 146 long distance truck drivers who work from and through Windhoek, who have an understanding of English and/or Afrikaans and work for more than twenty four hours away from home were identified to participate in the research. They were given a questionnaire which sought to figure out the drivers’ socio-demographic information, their knowledge of and attitudes towards HIV and AIDS, and the drivers’ sexual practices and other factors which may be putting them at an increased risk of contracting HIV. Working in the long distance trucking industry is noted to have its own hazards like harassment by traffic police, thieves and border officials, xenophobic confrontations, loneliness and boredom make them seek companionship in CSW and other vulnerable and desperate young girls and women. They also have tight schedules and strict deadlines which give them no time to rest, no time to be with their families and no time to go to clinics or hospitals where they get comprehensive healthcare services and HIV intervention and prevention programmes like condom distribution and voluntary HIV counselling and testing. The findings noted that loneliness and boredom arising from being away from home for too long, and being unmarried make the drivers more likely to engage in risky sexual behaviour and that a number of the drivers reported as having low HIV risk perception. Those who are married seem to feel obliged to protect their families as compared to those who are not married and have no family responsibilities. Many of the drivers seem to know about HIV and its causation of AIDS. The researcher recommends that drivers get more time to rest and spend with their families through driving shorter distances and partnering with sister companies such that drivers in Namibia may not need to cross the borders and return with cargo brought to the borders by the sister company drivers from neighbouring countries. Also to have a concerted effort by all stakeholders in the trucking industry in coming up with more truck ports like the North Star Foundation’s Wellness Centre in Walvis Bay, Namibia in many strategic towns dotted along the most frequently used routes. These truck ports should have secure parking for the truck, decent and affordable lodges for drivers, with clinics, entertainment areas and shops to cater for all the needs of the drivers on the road. There is also need for companies to invest in satellite radios which can provide entertainment to drivers on the road and also as a medium to broadcast accurate information about HIV and AIDS by peer educators.