UNAM Gā-aisib Repository (University of Namibia)
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Experiences of patients with extensive drug-resistant tuberculosis regarding prolonged isolation in a TB ward at a selected hospital in Namibia.
No full textA research thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for Degree of Master of Nursing ScienceThe focus of this study is to understand the experiences of participants with Extensive Drug Resistance (XDR) regarding prolonged isolation. The participants with XDR-TB are admitted in isolation for a minimum of twenty (20) months in the hospital. Different factors contributed to the participants not adhering to the rules of isolation in the TB ward. The fact that the isolation TB ward does not have proper measures to keep patients enclosed imposes the risk of cross infection to the public. The study aimed to explore and describe the experiences of patients with
XDR-TB regarding prolonged isolation at a selected hospital in Namibia. The objectives of the study were to: Explore and describe the experiences of participants with XDR-TB regarding prolonged isolation at the TB ward at the selected hospital in Namibia.
This study adopted a qualitative, explorative, descriptive, and contextual approach to understanding in-depth the participants’ experiences of being isolated for a longer period. A purposive sampling approach was used to select the study participants and saturation was achieved at seventh (7th) participants. The data was collected using face-to-face individual interviews and analyzed using the thematic content method of analysis. Four main themes became apparent after the data was
analyzed: Isolation, Challenges regarding basic needs, Psychological Support, and Improved health status. This study concluded that the participants experienced some psychosocial problems due to prolonged isolation. Living in isolation deprived them of a normal social lifestyle which resulted in pain, loneliness, anxiety, fear and depression. It was also revealed that participants believed that completing XDR-TB treatment guaranteed them cured
A comparative analysis of Afrofuturism, magical realism and African mythology in Namwali serpell's The old drift and Marlon Jame's Black leopard red wolf: An afrocentric perspective
No full textA research proposal submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in English StudiesAfrofuturism, Magical Realism and African Mythology are genres in literary fiction that can be used by authors and writers to explore difficult themes, complex characters, speculative settings and experimental plot points. While studies of these genres in literature exist, there has not been sufficient research in these concepts that centre the African perspective or explore the intersections of these genres. The main objective of this study was to investigate how Afrofuturism, Magical Realism and African Mythology are applied in the novels The Old Drift
by Namwali Serpell and Black Leopard Red Wolf by Marlon James, to provide an analysis, explore new methods of theorising African literature and challenge current literary epistemologies. This study used the Afrocentric theoretical framework developed by Asante (1980) to meet said objectives and contextualise the analysis of the two novels. One of the main findings of this research outlined how instrumental Afrofuturism, Magical Realism and African Mythology are as literary genres in African literature as they allow authors to centre African
perspectives. These perspectives thereby help cultivate a distinct lens that prioritises the African reader. Furthermore, the genres under investigation proved to be a resourceful way for African narratives immerging from the continent to explore a magnitude of complex themes. Lastly, the study recommends that more research on African literature from an Afrocentric perspective be conducted on other literary work produced in the genres of Afrofuturism, Magical Realism and African Mythology as there are more crucial insights yet to be uncovered
Investigating the impact of employee turnover on the service delivery in the Namibian Police Force
No full textA thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Business Administration (Management Strategy)This study sought to asses~ the impact of employee turnover on service delivery in the
Namibia police force by assessing the level of and reasons for employee turnover in the
Namibian police force; to analyze how employee turnover affects day to day operations
in the police force; to determine the relationship between staff turnover and quality service
delivery. This study adopt~d a quantitative research design and the instruments for data
collection were questionnaires. Purposive and Stratified sampling was used to select the
regions and stations of interest. A sample of226 respondents was drawn from various A Station (substrata) in four different regions using convenience sampling The Statistical
Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 22 was used to analyse data and tables were
used to present the results. A pre-coded closed-ended questionnaire using 5 points Likert
scale was administered to the target population. The study concludes that, employee
turnover is caused by factors at home and work and that turnover causes too much wastage
of resources which is spent on training replacements Furthermore, the study concluded
that employee turnover affects teamwork as the remaining employees get demoralized
after the resignation of some of their colleagues. The study recommends that the top
management ofthe police force should involve employees in the decision-making process.
It further recommends that NAMPOL management should provide benefits that will
attract the best employees to remain in the organization to improve service delivery.
Lastly, the study recommends alignment of employees remuneration with employee job
responsibilities will help in motivating employees to improve their performance and that
NAMPOL should consider remunerating its staff based on their qualifications for those
that are not promoted to feel their qualifications are recognize
Nutritional assessment of three baled rice straw varieties intended for use as ruminant feed in Namibia
No full textThe objective of this study was to determine the nutritive value, chemical composition and in vitro organic matter digestibility (IVOMD) of the three rice varieties cultivated at the Kalimbeza Rice Project and to recommend the best variety for use as animal feedThis study determined and compared the proximate and chemical composition of Angola, IRGA 418 and SUPA rice straw varieties harvested and baled in 2016 and 2017. In both 2016 and 2017, SUPA straw had the highest dry matter (DM) content (960.7 ± 0.50 g/kg and 939.4 ± 0.10 g/kg), neutral detergent fibre (NDF) (575.2 ± 9.90 g/kg and 594.7 ± 9.00 g/kg), acid detergent fibre (ADF) levels (374.7 ± 6.30 g/kg and 379.9 ± 9.90 g/kg) and cellulose (CL) content. Angola straw had the highest crude protein (CP) content (39.1 ± 2.00 g/kg, p < 0.05; 60.7 ± 2.70 g/kg) and acid detergent lignin (ADL) concentration (p < 0.05) in both years. Organic matter (OM), hemicellulose (HC), ash, fat and mineral content varied with year in all rice straw varieties. Angola straw had the lowest metabolisable energy (ME) of the three straw varieties. All straw varieties were deficient in at least one or more essential nutrient components. Nutritional and chemical composition varied with rice straw variety, year of cultivation and baling. Therefore, pre-treatment to improve digestibility and supplementation of deficient nutrients is recommended for effective use as ruminant feed. IRGA 418 straw was recommended as the best choice for ruminant feeding based on higher digestibility (IVOMD) and ME value
Political cartoons in a model African state: A case study of Botswana newspapers
No full textCartoonists’ stock-in-trade has been to lampoon the excesses and moral foibles
of political power holders. Cartoonists have been most unkind to misrule, abuse
of power, and authoritarianism. The overarching aim of this study was to find out
if cartoonists would be gentle and kind to Botswana political figures seeing that
they preside over a state which had been held up as beacon of hope and a model
of good governance. Cartoonists employed Eko’s transilience to animalize African
leaders for satirical purposes deterritorialization to remove them from familiar
territories for ethical criticisms. This chapter examines the themes and direction
of the cartoons, the study’s findings indicate that Botswana newspaper cartoonists
largely engage in deterritorialization more than transilience. However, the global
trend of irreverence and negative portrayal of politicians persists.Friedriech Ebert, Botswan
Community perspectives of empowerment from trophy hunting tourism in Namibia’s Bwabwata National Park
No full textTrophy hunting (TH) tourism plays an important and often controversial role in wildlife conservation and community livelihood in many African countries. Despite its potential social and economic benefits, TH can have a negative impact among the locals and pose critical challenges in governance. However, research on the local community perspective of TH and how it is linked to empowerment of locals and wildlife conservation in Namibia remains limited. Therefore, to address these gaps, our study explores how communities of Namibia’s Bwabwata National Park perceive TH and how TH supports or hinders empowerment of local communities and their relationship with wildlife. Through semistructured interviews with community members, this study elucidates the economic benefits and inequities, cultural impacts from lack of traditional hunting, perceived relationship to poaching, and limitations of governance and distrust among stakeholders. This research innovatively applies empowerment theory to TH tourism and thus, can strengthen
and inform sound governance and sustainable practices of TH at local, national, and international levels by providing the local perspective that has largely been absent from the TH debate
Knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding the risk of Hepatitis E virus among the residents of Havana information settlement in Windhoek, Namibia
No full textA thesis submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Nursing ScienceGlobally, every year there are an estimated 20 million Hepatitis E virus infections
worldwide, leading to an estimated 3.3 million symptomatic cases of hepatitis E. The 237 probable and confirmed cases at health facilities in Windhoek district are mostly from Havana informal settlement. These areas are characterized by overcrowded, poor living conditions and residents have limited access to safe drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene. The aim of this study was to determine the knowledge, attitudes and practices of the residents of Havana informal settlement regarding the risk factors contributing to the hepatitis E virus in Windhoek district, Khomas region Namibia. In this study, a quantitative and cross - sectional analytical study design was employed. The target population of this study was adults aged group 18- 60 years. A stratified sampling method was used. In this study, a structured questionnaire was developed to collect data from the
participants. The data were collected through a questionnaire. The responses from each questionnaire were entered into a data entry template of the SPSS statistics software and the Chi square method was used. The study revealed that the majority of the participants 83.3% had sufficient knowledge while the least participants 16.8% had low level of knowledge regarding the risk factors of Hepatitis E virus. Majority number of participants 93.3% had a positive attitude which covers total population in the study while the fewer number of the participants 6.8% were negative attitude which was the least in the study. Study revealed that majority of the number of the participants 66.3% had poor practice while a small number of the participants 33.8% had good It is therefore recommended that the Ministry of Health and Social Services and the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development train and employ health care assistants who could help the affected residents in the community on how to implement control measures that will minimize the risk of
Hepatitis E virus among residents in the Havana informal settlement
Malaria risk factors in Northern Namibia: The importance of occupation, age and mobility in characterizing high-risk populations
No full textIn areas of low and unstable transmission, malaria cases occur in populations with lower access to malaria services and interventions, and in groups with specific malaria risk exposures often away from the household. In support of the Namibian National Vector Borne Disease Program’s drive to better target interventions based upon risk, we implemented a health facility-based case control study aimed to identify risk factors for symptomatic malaria in Zambezi Region, northern Namibia. A total of 770 febrile individuals reporting to 6 health facilities and testing positive by rapid diagnostic test (RDT) between February 2015 and April 2016 were recruited as cases; 641 febrile individuals testing negative by RDT at the same health facilities through June 2016 were recruited as controls. Data on socio-demographics, housing construction, overnight travel, use of malaria prevention and outdoor behaviors at night were collected through interview and recorded on a tablet-based questionnaire. Remotely-sensed environmental data were extracted for geo-located village residence locations. Multivariable logistic regression was conducted to identify risk factors and latent class analyses (LCA) used to identify and characterize high-risk subgroups. The majority of participants (87% of cases and 69% of controls) were recruited during the 2016 transmission season, an outbreak year in Southern Africa. After adjustment, cases were more likely to be cattle herders (Adjusted Odds Ratio (aOR): 4.46 95%CI 1.05–18.96), members of the police or other security personnel (aOR: 4.60 95%CI: 1.16–18.16), and pensioners/unemployed persons (aOR: 2.25 95%CI 1.24–4.08), compared to agricultural workers (most common category). Children (aOR 2.28 95%CI 1.13–4.59) and self-identified students were at higher risk of malaria (aOR: 4.32 95%CI 2.31–8.10). Other actionable risk factors for malaria included housing and behavioral characteristics, including traditional home construction and sleeping in an open structure (versus modern structure: aOR: 2days (aOR: 10.55 95%CI 2.94–37.84); and outdoor agricultural work at night (aOR: 2.09 95%CI 1.12–3.87). Malaria preventive activities were all protective and included personal use of an insecticide treated net (ITN) (aOR: 0.61 95%CI 0.42–0.87), adequate household ITN coverage (aOR: 0.63 95%CI 0.42–0.94), and household indoor residual spraying (IRS) in the past year (versus never sprayed: (aOR: 0.63 95%CI 0.44–0.90). A number of environmental factors were associated with increased risk of malaria, including lower temperatures, higher rainfall and increased vegetation for the 30 days prior to diagnosis and residing more than 5 minutes from a health facility. LCA identified six classes of cases, with class membership strongly correlated with occupation, age and select behavioral risk factors. Use of ITNs
and IRS coverage was similarly low across classes. For malaria elimination these high-risk groups will need targeted and tailored intervention strategies, for example, by implementing alternative delivery methods of interventions through schools and worksites, as well as the use of specific interventions that address outdoor transmission
Public engagement in sustainable urban development: From engagement to co-creation through a smart city approach, Windhoek, Namibia
No full textA thesis submitted in fulfillment of the requirement for the Degree of Master of Arts (Geography and Environmental Studies)The City of Windhoek plays a unique role in the social and economic success of Namibia, as the center of international networks and where the government sits, this places a significant responsibility on national and local authorities to sustain the population. Globally, 55% of the world’s population lives in urban areas, a proportion that is expected to increase to 68% by 2050 (UN, 2018). This unparalleled rate of urban growth is creating an urgency to find smarter ways to manage the influxes of urban populations and public participation processes are considered and proven to be an important element for enabling successful sustainable development in a smart city concept because they involve actively engaging the civil society (Brand et al. 2013). This research study identifies current engagement tools used by the City of Windhoek (CoW) and evaluates how they are implemented in practice. Through semi-structured interview sessions and participatory observations at identified public engagement meetings, findings prove that traditional engagement mechanisms, such as public meetings, are still commonly used by the City of Windhoek. City planners are developing their engagement toolbox in order to strengthen public participation, and in turn, reach an audience that reflects and represents the contributions made by the population in urban sustainable development plans. The extent to which engagement tools are resulting in outcomes that are inclusive and representative to the public is difficult to determine because the CoW’s planning division does not require to track the participant’s demographics at public meetings. Reviewing the City of Windhoek’s public participation policy to include indicators such as participants' gender, age, and attendance register to name a few would be a step in the right direction to maintain the new vision- “A Smart and Caring City by 2022”
Challenges faced by learner-mothers in schools in Omuthiya circuit of Namibia
No full textA mini thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Education (Leadership, Management and Policy Studies)The main thrust of this research was to explore the challenges faced by learner-mothers in schools in Omuthiya education circuit of Namibia. The study aims at contributing better insights to strategies that can improve the learner-mother freedom in schools. The study resolute the challenges faced by learner-mothers in schools in Omuthiya circuit. It further explored how the learner-mothers cope with these challenges as well as the strategies in place that guide school management in implementing the learner pregnant policy to the satisfaction of learner-mothers. Moreover, the study focused on some ways on how the learner-mothers can be supported to cope with motherhood and learning. The study further looked at how the challenges experienced by learner-mothers and school management could be addressed. A qualitative research approach using a case study design was employed, whereby the researcher used interview guides and covert observations to collect the data on the challenges faced by learner-mothers. The targeted population of this study was learner-mothers, teacher-counsellors and school principals in Omuthiya inspection circuit of the Oshikoto Region in Namibia. A purposive sampling method was employed in this study. The study concluded that the main challenges faced by learner-mothers are coping with motherhood and learning simultaneously, teased and bullied by other learners, missing classes and examinations while attending to motherhood demands. The study further established that most learner-mothers do not disclose their pregnancy conditions and lose concentration in the studies, react negatively to the challenges, and unprepared to cope with the challenges they are facing in the educational mainstream, and eventually drop out of school. The results of this study found out strategies like utilising school records for all learner-mothers and use of confirmation letters from health care-providers that detail the fitness of the learner-mothers on the mainstream as a means to overcome some challenges. It is clear that the empowering of teacher counsellors could result in the success of the policy. Working together with class teachers of all learner-mothers could lead to the effective implementation of the policy. The study also established that learner-mothers need support in the form of counselling and moral support. The study recommends the educational policymakers to come up with strategies or policies on how to supplement lessons or exams missed by learner-mothers due to a well assessed pregnant complication. The study seeks provision to be made on administrative documents such that teasing and bullying learner-mother will be regarded as serious indiscipline with strict measures in place