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Masters Degrees (Public Health)

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/10413/6971

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    Concurrent treatment of in vitro cell lines with uthuli lwezichwe™, an African traditional medicine used in the management of diabetes mellitus in KwaZulu-Natal, with conventional treatments and their effects on glucose uptake and insulin secretion.
    (2022) Hlatshwayo, Sphamandla.; Ngcobo, Mlungisi.; Gqaleni, Nceba.
    Background: By the year 2025, prevalence of diabetes mellitus is estimated to reach 300 million globally; with type 2 diabetes mellitus comprising more than 90% of these cases. Due to the side effects which are sometimes adverse and gradual loss of efficacy with time, presented by conventional regimens; a number of diabetic patients have been reported to be using both traditional medicines and conventional regimens concurrently. Experimental and clinical experiments have yielded positive results on studies performed on conventional treatments in combination with traditional medicines and medicinal plant extracts. Most these studies have been performed using a single medical plant, whilst African traditional medicine (ATM) products constitute of a variety of medical plants. Aim: This study aimed to investigate the concurrent treatment of in vitro cell lines with Uthuli Lwezichwe™, an African traditional medicine used in the management of diabetes mellitus in KwaZulu-Natal, in combination with conventional treatments and their effects on glucose uptake and insulin secretion. Methods: Cell viability was used to establish the IC50 doses of Uthuli Lwezichwe™ for HepG2 liver, C2C12 muscle and RIN-5 pancreatic beta cell lines. The IC50 doses were used in combination with known effective doses of metformin, insulin and tolbutamide to treat liver, skeletal muscle and beta cells, respectively. Glucose uptake was monitored at 0, 6, 12 and 24 h time intervals. Changes in glycogen and glutathione (GSH) levels in treated liver cells were evaluated using a glycogen assay kit (MAK0160) and GSH Glo glutathione kits, respectively. Insulin secretion in treated pancreatic cells was assessed using an ultra-sensitive rat insulin ELISA kit. Results: In comparison to the untreated control, treatment with Uthuli LwezichweTM in combination with conventional drugs significantly increased (p<0.05) increased insulin secretion in comparison to all treatment groups. Conclusion: Interaction of anti-diabetic agents studied, resulted in ameliorated glucose metabolism, both via glucose uptake and insulin secretion. This could be beneficial both in modulating diabetes mellitus and its comorbidities.
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    Exploring burnout among frontline healthcare workers during covid-19 pandemic in Mthatha, Eastern Cape, South Africa.
    (2023) Fathuse, Noluyolo.; Ginindza, Themba Geoffrey.; Hlongwana, Khumbulani Welcome.
    Introduction: Burnout prevalence among healthcare workers (HCW) is high and has a negative impact on individuals’ health, patient care and, ultimately, organizational efficiency. Burnout is a state of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and a decreased sense of personal accomplishment (1). While the 2019 Coronavirus (COVID-19) exacerbated the burnout prevalence among HCWs, limited studies have explored this phenomenon using qualitative methodologies in the Eastern Cape Province and South Africa generally. This study explored how frontline HCWs experienced burnout during the COVID-19 pandemic in Mthatha Regional Hospital (MRH). Methods: Ten face-to-face in-depth interviews were conducted with non-specialized medical doctors and nurses who directly cared for COVID-19-infected patients during the pandemic in MRH. Indepth interviews were digitally recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data were managed through NVIVO 12 software before being thematically analyzed using Colaizzi’s analysis method. Results: Four main themes emerged from the analysis. These themes were burnout manifestation (emotional strain, detachment and irritability, uncertainty-induced fear and anxiety, physical exhaustion, yet, low job accomplishment, dread and professional responsibility), precursors of burnout (occupational exposure to high mortality, staff shortages, elongated high patient volume and workload, disease uncertainties and consistent feeling of grief), alleviating factors of burnout (time off work, psychologist intervention, periods of low infection rate and additional staff), and the last theme was every cloud has a silver lining (improved infection prevention and control (IPC) measures, learning to be more empathetic, the passion remains and confidence grows). Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic brought about a rapid change in the work environment of healthcare workers who are the backbone of efficient healthcare services, thereby rendering them vulnerable to increased burnout risks. This study is expected to provide comprehensive information on burnout, its predisposing factors, its manifestations, and alleviating factors. And also, these findings are anticipated to contribute to the strategic development and strengthening of welfare policies to promote and protect frontline HCWs wellbeing and well-functioning at work during the COVID-19 pandemic and future pandemics.