Community Health and Preventive Medicine Commons^™

The Complex Realities Of Indigenous Health Care Delivery, Megan Waterman

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The indigenous population of Australia faces a life expectancy that is eighteen years lower than the general population. This study addresses this incredible disparity by exploring the historical, cultural and social forces that impact on health status, focussing especially on health care service utilisation. Qualitative methods of interviewing and participant observation have been used to examine the two sectors of Aboriginal health service delivery in urban Victoria: Aboriginal community controlled health organisations (ACCHOs) and mainstream organisations. Accounting for the complex forces and realities in health service delivery, this is a discussion of the important components of the current realities for …

Current Issues In Healthcare In Samoa “Making-Do With What Is Available”, Veronica Braden

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The objective of this research was to look at the current issues in healthcare in present day Samoa. The research was conducted over a four week period, two of which were spent observing and interviewing in the public hospital, Tupua Tamasese Meaole, and in the private hospital, MedCen. This research was conducted to look at issues such as cleanliness of facilities, the shortage of supplies and technology in the hospitals, the demand for higher salaries made by the doctors, and the reasons for the trend towards the privatization of medicine. Also researched, was the role of the government in terms …

Loaning Health: The Effectiveness Of Microfinance As An Hiv/Aids Intervention Method In Kibera Slums, Lara Berlin

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Three of the major societal issues facing Kenya are poverty, gender inequalities, and HIV/AIDS, each of which acts as a catalyst for the others. In the last twenty years, microfinance has been used as an intervention method combating poverty and women’s disempowerment. As such, this study examines the effectiveness of using microfinance as an HIV/AIDS intervention method in the Kibera slums of Nairobi, Kenya. The research is primarily based upon interviews with Kibera residents and members of microfinance organizations. The findings indicate that most Kibera residents believe microfinance is the best method of reducing the spread of AIDS, especially when …

Working With The Tabu: Hiv/Aids Education Strategies In Fiji, Amanda Butts

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The focus of this paper is the cultural tabu, or taboo, in Fiji that prevents the open discussion of sex and therefore complicates education efforts towards HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention. Specific factors perpetuate the tabu including using it as an excuse to simply ignore a complex issue such as HIV/AIDS and using it to keep sex off social agendas in a predominantly Christian nation. Where organizations have taken strides to work with or break the tabu, the author examines and analyzes various education strategies employed by a variety of sectors including schools, health care facilities, faith-based organizations, the HIV positive …

El Vih En La Ciudad De Buenos Aires: Obstáculos En El Acceso Al Tratamiento En El Sector Público, Erica Tai-Le Bliss

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The focus of my research is the access to HIV treatment in the public health sector in Buenos Aires. HIV testing and treatment are guaranteed, by law, financed completely by the government for patients in the public health sector who do not have any private insurance or social work insurance plan. Over three quarters of the registered cases of HIV are patients in the public sector. Although health care is free in the Capital, many patients don’t take HIV tests, seek treatment or eventually stop taking their medication. To investigate the motivations of the patients, I interviewed three sectors that …

Cervical Cancer Screening In Rural South Africa: An Analysis Of The Awareness, Attitudes, And Practices Of Women Served By The Masincedane Clinic, Jordan Schneider

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The aim of this study was to conduct a brief investigation into the awareness, attitudes and practices regarding cervical cancer among women living in Keiskammahoek, a rural area in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. The objectives of this study were to:

• Determine if screening is available within a localized rural community and the methods that are being used.

• Determine if women are coming in for screening, the demographics of these women, and the circumstances that bring them into PHC clinics.

• Investigate the level of knowledge and education about cervical cancer and prevention among women within the …