REPOST – South African Practicum Opportunities..take a look before the Santander Scholarship deadline!
Breaking News: There are a number of exciting practicum opportunities available in South Africa starting this summer. If you are interested, contact Jessie Chiliza at jchiliza@bu.edu.
If you are planning to apply for a Santander you can use the information below from one of the organizations in your application to Santander.
ANOVA Health Institute
Practicum Locations: Cape Town, Western Cape (rural), Johannesburg, Limpopo (rural)
Website: www.anovahealth.co.za
The Anova Health Institute is a South Africa-based non-governmental organization with head office in Johannesburg. Anova is one of the leading partners to the Department of Health to strengthen and support the public healthcare system in South Africa, with particular focus on the HIV, TB and STI programs. This is achieved through clinical expertise, capacity building, community awareness and innovation. We partner with various government, community and academic institutions.
Anova operates as PEPFAR district support partner in three South African districts: Johannesburg Metro (including Soweto), Mopani District, and the Cape Winelands District. Anova’s teams in these districts, each through a unique operational model, work closely with the local Department of Health to strengthen healthcare systems. Anova’s Health4Men initiative is dedicated to addressing MSM through the provision of competent, prejudice-free sexual healthcare for MSM and the promotion of a sex-positive attitude among healthcare workers. The program operates across the country, but has two main centers of expertise in Cape Town and Johannesburg.
Western Cape Department of Health
Practicum Locations: Cape Town
Website: www.westerncape.gov.za
The Western Cape Department of Health’s core function is to deliver a comprehensive package of health services to the people of the province.
Practicum Opportunities:
Metro Health Services Unit
- Maternal Health: Understand and explain the difference in caesarean section rates across several district hospitals.
- Healthcare Access: Understand and explain why patients do not attend the health facility closest to their home.
HIV/AIDS/STI/TB Unit (HAST)
- Analysis of STI sentinel surveillance data
- Analysis of the male circumcision program including a cost benefit analysis
- The Western Cape Department of Health is revitalizing their TB prevention program. Before they put forth a new plan they need assistance conducting a landscape review of all the TB prevention efforts happening in the province.
- Support the 9 HAST managers with their provincial strategic plans, which they are required to present in October/November 2015
Life Choices
Website: www.lifchoices.co.za
Location: Cape Town
Life Choices recognizes that every individual possesses unique value. We choose to partner with vulnerable youth on a journey of growth and development delivering lasting change in the lives that we touch. We understand that no two people are the same, which means our interactive and constantly evolving interventions are designed to meet the needs of the individual. This in turn creates a positive ripple-effect in the community.
Life Choices was founded on the belief that once off interventions are not enough to transform a young person’s life. With this in mind we provide comprehensive services in family stability, health education and leadership. Life Choices believes that these four building blocks are critical for youth to thrive. Since. 2006, Life Choices has impacted over 138,000 lives with choices and not charity.
Life Choices provides youth and their parents in the Cape Flats with:
- HIV testing and counselling
- Psychosocial support
- Reproductive health talks,
- Leadership training
- Academic support
Kheth’impilo
Website: http://www.khethimpilo.org/
Location: Cape Town
Kheth’impilo’s main objective is to support the South African Government’s HIV National strategic Plans in its quest to achieve an AIDS-free generation. At present the organization has operations in 8 districts with high HIV and TB prevalence in the Eastern Cape (Nelson Mandela B Metro, Amathole), Kwa-Zulu Natal (EThekwini, Amajuba, ILembe and UMgungundlovu), Mpumalanga (Ehlanzeni) and the Western Cape (Metro). In these districts Kheth’Impilo programs scale up access to prevention, care, treatment and support services, thus contributing to reducing the treatment gap, support the strengthening of health systems as well as build capacity of staff to deliver services. The organization provides services of high quality for both adults and children which result in reduced mother to child HIV transmission, reduction in HIV associated morbidity and mortality increasing life expectancy, which contribute to the National Strategic Plan goals of reaching 80% of people living with HIV/AIDS and reducing new HIV infections by 50%.
Kheth’Impilo works in close partnership with the Department of Health at a district level and implements the following programs:
• HIV/AIDS counseling and testing
• Adult and pediatric antiretroviral treatment
• Training of clinical and community support staff
• Pharmaceutical services support
• Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission
• TB treatment and care
• Community Adherence Support /Psychosocial Support Services ( CSSS) to patients and their families
The clinical program is supported by the Community Services Cluster, which provides adherence and psycho-social support interventions for patients through its Patient Advocate model. Ongoing treatment, counselling and psychosocial support at the community level are provided with special attention paid to the very ill, pregnant, TB infected, children and adolescents, as well as patients struggling with disclosure. PAs are the link between the clinical services and the community, and enable Kheth’Impilo to identify challenges that may become barriers to treatment and refer patients for services to address these challenges.
University of the Western Cape, School of Public Health
Website: www.uwc.ac.za/Faculties/CHS/soph/Pages/default.aspx
Location: Cape Town
PROSPECTIVE URBAN AND RURAL EPIDEMIOLOGY STUDY
ACTIVITIES FOR 2015 INTERN
Short description of Project:
The Prospective Urban and Rural Epidemiology (PURE) study is a multi-country cohort study to track changing Lifestyles, risk Factors and chronic diseases in different population groups. The University of the Western Cape’s School of Public Health co-ordinates this investigation in the Eastern and Western Cape Provinces of South Africa.
The main objectives of PURE study in South Africa are: (i) to examine the relationship between societal influences and prevalence of risk factors and chronic non-communicable diseases; (ii) to examine the relationship between societal determinants and incidence of chronic non-communicable disease events and on changes in rates of selected risk factors.
Utilizing periodic standardised data collection methods, the environmental changes, the societal influences on lifestyle, the risk factors and CVD are being tracked. 1000 study participants are to be recruited from the urban and rural communities and will undergo detailed baseline assessments. Data collection will occur at 4 levels (i.e. national, community, household, and individual levels) and will incorporate the societal determinants of built environment, nutrition environment, tobacco use and socioeconomic/ psychosocial determinants.
Project-related activities:
- Data Collection
1. Visit PURE study sites where recruitment of study participants is being undertaken and rendering logistical/organizational assistance to the recruitment process
2. Collect, code, enter and clean baseline data from PURE study participants (Both using a customized online database and on SPSS)
3. Managing a database of study participants in the PURE study
4. Drawing up of Excel Pivot tables, summary graphs and charts and simple descriptive error check estimates on key indicators for the PURE study
5. Maintaining an Administrative Spreadsheet of activities in the baseline recruitment phase of the PURE study.
6. Manage (updating) a database of study participants in the PURE study
7. Address errors identified by Data Quality Check Reports on baseline data
8. Administering cohort follow-up strategies including; writing and posting sms messages to all PURE study participants, contribute to the design of newsletters, PURE study day (flyers, banners, posters etc)
b. Other
11. Undertaking literature search using standardized search strategies for systematic review on subjects to be advised
Academic development activities:
- Attend School of Public Health Journal Clubs (Monday 0900 – 1100hrs)
- Attend public seminars and lectures in UWC
- Presentation at a journal club
Ancillary tasks:
1. General administrative/clerical support (as deemed appropriate and necessary)
2. Preparation/Re-designing of PowerPoint Presentation slides and lectures notes; in
particular, enhancing the quality of slides by introducing good animations and
video/audio clips appropriate for the slide contents
3. Developing interactive content for online teaching forum for our nascent “google
discussion group”. Explore the use of avatars and pop-up wizards that could serve as helps for frequently-asked questions in an Epidemiology and Biostatistics modules
University of Stellenbosch – Desmond Tutu TB Centre
Website: www0.sun.ac.za/dttc/
Location: Cape Town
South Africa has the fourth highest TB rate in the world, while the Western Cape Province has the highest number of new TB cases in the country. The Desmond Tutu TB Centre adopts an outward focus and a holistic approach towards understanding and combating this TB pandemic. The goals of the Center are designed on a strategy built on basic and applied research, as well as on the training of students and communities in all aspects of TB.
The Center is an important asset, not only for research but also for interaction with communities. We operate from the premise that grassroots research, which includes work being done in communities, investigations of the everyday problems experienced by sufferers of TB and HIV/AIDS and reporting results to the appropriate health services, must never be underestimated.
The Center focuses on health systems strengthening, operational research, childhood TB, community randomized trials, food and nutrition interventions, family based approaches and non-communicable diseases.
Practicum Opportunities:
Analysis of HIV Counseling and Testing services:
Collect data at the community-based HIV centers (HCT) around the drivers and barriers to testing for those who are both first time and repeat testers within 5 communities around Cape Town. The intern will collect quantitative and qualitative data from clients accessing the mobile services. The work would potentially involve recruiting and collecting data (using a questionnaire) from clients after they have received HCT. The candidate would work with each of the outreach teams. Staff will be available to assist with language if needed.
Data collection uses both closed & open ended questions. Open ended questions would need to be transcribed and entered into ATLAS.ti for analysis. Depending on how long data collection takes, the candidate could also be involved in either the quantitative or qualitative analysis.
