64962 research outputs found
Sort by
World Family Doctors Day 2019 : reflections from an African perspective
Get PDFCITATION: Mash, R. 2019. World Family Doctors Day 2019 : reflections from an African perspective. African Journal of Primary Health Care and Family Medicine, 11(1):a2139, doi:10.4102/phcfm.v11i1.2139.The original publication is available at https://phcfm.org/index.php/phcfmNo abstract available.https://phcfm.org/index.php/phcfm/article/view/2139Publisher's versio
Hennie Aucamp-huldiging
No full textCITATION: Spies, L. 2004. Hennie Aucamp-huldiging. Tydskrif vir Letterkunde, 41(2):163-168, doi:10.4314/tvl.v41i2.29682.The original publication is available at https://journals.assaf.org.zaNo abstract available.https://journals.assaf.org.za/index.php/tvl/article/view/5044Publisher's versio
The Career Construction Narrative of a Black African Female Graduate at a TVET College
Get PDFThesis (MEdPsych)--Stellenbosch University, 2025.Scheepers, M. 2025. The Career Construction Narrative of a Black African Female Graduate at a TVET College. Unpublished masters thesis. Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University [online]. Available: https://scholar.sun.ac.za/items/02452ae2-6003-4b7f-b9fe-a326ad8c2b62Despite the growing emphasis on employability and skills development in South Africa, there remains a dearth of research exploring the subjective career construction experiences of graduates from technical and vocational education and training (TVET) colleges, particularly Black African women who have studied Office Administration. This qualitative study aimed to address this gap by examining the career construction narrative of a Black African female Office Administration graduate from a TVET college. Situated within the interpretivist and postmodernist epistemological frameworks, the research adopted constructivist and social constructionist theoretical perspectives to explore the key narrative events and experiences that have shaped the participant’s career narrative, her self-perception within this narrative, and the significant relational and broader socio-cultural influences on her career decision-making. Semi-structured interviews were used for data collection, and a voice-centred relational method of analysis (referred to as the Listening Guide) was used to reveal familial and peer support and expectations, responses to traumatic events, systemic barriers, intersecting identities, and personal resilience as key influences shaping the participant’s career trajectory. The findings highlight the complexities of navigating educational and professional landscapes shaped by race, gender, and socio-economic status. This study contributes to the literature on career development within marginalised groups and offers recommendations for future research and the enhancement of TVET support systems.Master
Gut Microbiota and Cardiovascular Disease: Exploring Microbial Metabolites, Inflammation, and Arterial Specificity in Atherosclerosis
Get PDFThesis (DSc)--Stellenbosch University, 2025.Dicks, L. M. T. 2025. Gut Microbiota and Cardiovascular Disease: Exploring Microbial Metabolites, Inflammation, and Arterial Specificity in Atherosclerosis. Unpublished doctoral dissertation. Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University [online]. Available: https://scholar.sun.ac.za/items/031842e0-a1b2-4b9f-9272-915d62056133The uptake of micro- and macronutrients in the adult human gut is regulated by seven bacterial Phyla (Bacillota, Bacteroidota, Pseudomonadota, Fusobacteriota, Verrucomicrobiota, Cyanobacteria, and Actinomycetota). Gut microbiota coexist in a harsh environment through communication via quorum sensing (QS). The molecular signals they generate communicate with the host by interacting with receptors (e.g, G-protein-coupled receptors, GPCRs) embedded in the intestinal epithelium. The levels of butyrate and variation of signalling molecules produced depend on the composition of the gut microbiome, diet, and external factors (e.g., stress, mental state, medication, and social behaviour). Butyrate supplies 70% of the energy required by intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) and keeps them in close contact. This prevents the leakage of lumen contents into the bloodstream, which may overstimulate the immune system. Binding of butyrate to GPCRs in the intestinal epithelium suppresses the activities of interferon γ (IFN-γ), Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2), and Nod-like receptor pyrin domain 3 (NLRP3), and downregulates the production of vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM-1) and E-selectin. This suppresses the recruitment of leukocytes and the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines. By suppressing IFN-γ and TLR2, the levels of isoleucine (IL)-10 increase. Butyrate bound to GPCR initiates the inhibition of transmembrane glycoprotein CD36 (cluster of differentiation 36), which decreases the uptake of oxidised low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) by macrophages. The decline in lipid-rich macrophages (foam cells) prevents the deposit of ox-LDL onto the intima and plaque formation. Butyrate released into the bloodstream binds to TLR4 and activates NADPH, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) pathways. NF-κB stimulates endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) to increase the production of nitric oxide (NO), an important vasodilator. The interaction between butyrate and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) stimulates the activity of IkBα, an inhibitor of the NF-κB pathway. The deactivation of NF-κB elevates IL-10 levels. PPARγ stimulates adipogenesis, which prevents arterial plaque formation. The dysregulation of PPARγ results in hypertension, obesity, increased blood sugar and serum triglycerides, and a decrease in high-density lipoprotein (HDL). CD36 acts as an ox-LDL scavenger, thus preventing the translocation of fatty acids to arterial walls. CD36 on the surface of foam cells accumulates advanced glycation end products (AGEs), which accelerate the formation of atherosclerotic plaques. CD36 also stimulates blood clotting by aggregating platelets and binds to thrombospondin 1 (TSP-1), advanced oxidation protein products (AOPPs), and S100 family proteins (S100-A8, S100-A9, and S100-A12) to transfer ox-LDL into arteries. The CD36-protein complex binds to Ca2+, growth hormone-releasing peptide (GHRP), cell-derived microparticles (MPs), and amyloids. If CD36 is compromised, as in damaged endothelia, plasma levels of Ca2+ and MPs (e.g., small vesicles that carry proteins and lipids) increase. The malfunctioning of GHRP disturbs the balance between growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-I). A modification of the GH/IGF-I axis may lead to the accumulation of lipids, an increase in body weight, and possibly also the development of AS. Further research on the regulation of the GH/IGF-I axis may provide a better understanding of AS and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). CD36 may be developed into a reporter system for the early detection of AS. Further research on the regulation of genes encoding CD36 and transcription factors such as PPAR may lead to the development of a ligand to detect CD36 levels. This is a challenging task, as CD36 is a diverse protein that binds to low-chain fatty acids (LCFAs), ox-LDL, thrombospondins, amyloid proteins, collagen, and AGE. The binding of microbial lipopolysaccharides (LPS) to TLRs triggers several inflammatory reactions that may lead to CVD. One of the most important reactions is the stimulation of the pro-atherogenic metabolite trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO). The latter promotes the expression of NLRP3, foam cells, and arterial plaque formation. TMAO, produced by gut microbiota from choline, phosphatidylcholine, and L-carnitine, causes vascular endothelial damage by activating nitric oxide dismutase (NOD), leucine-rich repeats (LRR), and pyrin domain-containing NLRP3 inflammatory bodies. An increase in intracellular calcium ions contributes to the aggregation of platelets, which may lead to thrombosis. TMAO also inhibits the sirtuin 3-superoxide dismutase2-mitochondrial ROS (reactive oxygen species) pathway, the ROS-thioredoxin interactive protein axis, and activates the protein kinase C/NF-κB (canonical NF-κB)/vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 pathway, all of which promote AS. TMAO also upregulates the expression of CD36. TMAO may thus be used as a reporter of AS, but serves as a target for the prevention and treatment of CVDs. Biomarkers that may be considered for the early detection of AS are: The epithelial cellular adhesion molecule (Ep-CAM), trefoil factor 3 (TF3), leptin, plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI1), alpha-1 acid glycoprotein 1 (AGP1), contactin 1 (CNTN1), butyrate, TMAO, NLRP3, and elastin. Butyrate regulates AS. It is thus sensible to focus on receptors, such as PPAR, TLR, AhR, and butyrate-influenced signal-generating pathways, such as MAPK, and ox-LDL transporters to find a cure for AS. Our knowledge of the interactions between butyrate and receptors on IECs and ECs, specifically GPCRs (free fatty acid receptors, FFARs), provides a solid basis for the intervention of AS and may lead to the design of novel GPCR-targeted drugs. A last thought: Are we getting old because of a changing (and aging) gut microbiome that struggles to maintain epithelial and endothelial membranes and loses the ability to generate “life-supporting” signals? In other words, do our organs fail us, and do we develop AS because of misbehaving gut microbiota that throw a tantrum if they are not fed correctly? Surely it is not this simple.Doctora
Mesorectum volumetry in males with rectal cancer : variabilities observed in pre- and post-neoadjuvant radiotherapy imaging
Get PDFThe original publication is available: https://www.sciencedirect.com/Purpose: This study utilised magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to describe the within population variations and the variability observed in the volumetry of the mesorectum pre- and post-neoadjuvant radiotherapy, prior to surgical intervention, in a South-African sample of males with rectal cancer. Methodology: Nineteen pelvic MRI scans of males diagnosed with rectal cancer, who underwent neoadjuvant long-course radiotherapy (LCRT) or short-course radiotherapy (SCRT) prior to undergoing a total mesorectal excision (TME), were retrospectively reviewed and analysed. Mesorectal volume was calculated after contouring individual axial slices and creating a three-dimensional compounded structure on both pre- and post-radiotherapy scans, which were subsequently described and compared. Results: Both pre- and post-neoadjuvant radiotherapy mesorectal volumetry displayed great variability. Mean calculated pre-radiotherapy mesorectal volume was 272.94 ± 80.30 cm3. Post-radiotherapy volume equated to 239.19 ± 81.30 cm3, presenting an overall percentage decrease of 12,60 %, resulting in a statistically significant difference (p = 0.001). In sub-group analysis, both patient groups who underwent LCRT and SCRT showed a general decrease and statistically significant difference in mesorectal volume post-radiotherapy when compared to pre-radiotherapy imaging. Conclusion: Significant variation in the volumetry of the mesorectum pre- and post-neoadjuvant radiotherapy observable on MRI can have important clinical implications for the TME. A change in mesorectal morphometry may require modification of the planned surgical strategy. Therefore, the information obtained from a post-radiotherapy MRI prior to surgical intervention, can be a worthwhile addition to the available armamentarium for surgeons to guide surgical decision-making, encouraging the adoption of optimal individualized and novel treatment strategies to improve patient outcomes.https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214854X25000068Publisher's versio
Ruin-and-recreate heuristics for the fixed charge transportation problem
Get PDFThesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2025.Le Roux, G. J. 2025. Ruin-and-recreate heuristics for the fixed charge transportation problem. Unpublished doctoral dissertation. Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University [online]. Available: https://scholar.sun.ac.za/items/15294dd1-191f-46e1-9c19-5d709552ab4aThe fixed charge transportation problem (FCTP) is an extension of the classical transportation problem and the fixed charge problem. It involves determining an optimal allocation of units along arcs from a set of origins (or supply points) to a set of destinations (or demand points). The network is therefore represented as a directed bipartite graph. Every arc is associated with a variable cost as well as a fixed charge that is incurred if the arc is activated. The objective is to minimise the total cost while ensuring that all supplied units leave the origins and all demand is met at the destinations. In this dissertation, various ruin-and-recreate (R&R) heuristics are developed for the FCTP. Constructive heuristics are initially introduced, laying the groundwork for their integration into the recreate phase of R&R heuristics. The least cost method (LCM), Vogel’s approximation method and Russell’s approximation method are modified to use metric values as opposed to the variable costs. Six new metrics to determine the arcs in which units of flow should be increased, are developed. The R&R heuristic incorporating a local improvement method (in the form of the simplex algorithm) and threshold acceptance as a means to accept or reject a solution in each iteration, is then developed. Four ruin methods, namely arcs removal, vertices removal, multipath removal and subtree removal, are proposed to subtract units of flow from randomly selected arcs during the ruin phase. The heuristics are then expanded to embody memory. The ruin methods are modified so that arcs that have a higher cost per unit have a greater chance of being ruined. Metropolis ac-ceptance is then tested as a stochastic alternative to threshold acceptance. This is followed by learning and forgetting curves that are formulated for FCTPs and optimisation problems in general. Finally, all the developed heuristics are combined into variable R&R heuristics. In each iteration, a random heuristic is selected to be executed on the current solution, similar to variable neighbourhood search. Variants that integrate adaptiveness, incorporate memory and vary the recreate method, are designed. These are then extended to heuristics that combine multiple variants. The heuristics were tested on 50 instances known from literature and 75 newly generated in-stances. Computational results demonstrate that the R&R heuristic employing subtree removal as the ruin method, LCM as the recreate method and the simplex algorithm as the local im-provement method, achieved some of the most favourable outcomes. On average, its solutions are 8.7% better than those attained by CPLEX for instances larger than 75 × 75 (challenging problems). Memory-based R&R heuristics show an improvement, beating CPLEX by 10.2% for challenging instances. Variable R&R heuristics are competitive with memory-based R&R heuristics, returning solutions that are 2.2% better than those by CPLEX across all instances and displaying an improvement of 9.8% over CPLEX for challenging instances.Doctora
Coping with the Challenges of Caregiving: Exploring the Experiences of Family Caregivers of Children with Rare Diseases at Tygerberg Hospital
Get PDFThesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2025.Van Niekerk, J. 2025. Coping with the Challenges of Caregiving: Exploring the Experiences of Family Caregivers of Children with Rare Diseases at Tygerberg Hospital. Unpublished masters thesis. Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University [online]. Available: https://scholar.sun.ac.za/items/21a7f6bd-1c32-4ddb-89c8-2fa7700c6048Rare diseases is an umbrella term for numerous chronic conditions which have low prevalence individually. These conditions usually affect children and severely impact their lives. Children with rare diseases are often cared for by family members, who are referred to as family caregivers. Family caregivers play an important role in the broader management of rare diseases and in their children’s lives. However, these caregivers face many challenges in their roles and frequently struggle to cope with the demands they face. This regularly has consequences for their physical and mental wellbeing, and quality of life, which can further hinder their ability to meet their children’s care needs. If meaningful changes are to be made to the benefit of this group, it is important to understand their needs. Unfortunately, caregivers’ experiences are understudied, especially within the South African context. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the challenges of family caregivers of children with rare diseases at Tygerberg Hospital, and to explore how they cope with these challenges. An exploratory qualitative approach was employed to investigate the experiences of 10 parents (aged 22-54) who were recruited using a convenience sampling strategy and interviewed thereafter. These interviews were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Deductive analysis was informed by the Multidimensional Model of Caregiver Process and Burden, however, inductive analysis was also used to develop themes. These themes highlight several significant dimensions of caregivers’ experiences. Firstly, uncertainty was a significant challenge, and some participants coped with elements of uncertainty by gaining knowledge. Secondly, whether experiences in healthcare settings were positively or negatively impactful depended on healthcare providers’ knowledge about rare diseases and how they communicated with caregivers. Thirdly, many challenges pertained to providing holistic care, which involved meeting children’s healthcare, social and emotional needs. Fourthly, acceptance was often facilitated by normalisation, and although acceptance was challenging it was important for participants’ coping. Fifthly, the socioeconomic context of care was significant because this influenced the availability of social support and the impact of financial challenges. Sixthly, various intrapersonal factors, such as religious beliefs, positivity and love for children, gave meaning to participants’ lives and thereby motivated them to persevere through challenges. Finally, participants experienced physical and psychological impacts due to the extensive burdens they bear. However, participants saw no choice but to carry on in their roles regardless of the challenges. Comparison of these themes to existing literature revealed that participants faced similar challenges to caregivers in other countries, and utilised coping strategies comparable to those found in previous research. However, these parents lacked some types of support commonly documented in the literature. It is imperative that family caregivers receive increased support and consideration in South Africa. Therefore, improved understanding about caregivers’ unique challenges and coping is required.Master
Power disputes : a missiological dialogue between strategic level spiritual warfare and mystical powers in African religion
Get PDFThesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2025.Odede, C. K. 2025. Power disputes : a missiological dialogue between strategic level spiritual warfare and mystical powers in African religion. Unpublished doctoral dissertation. Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University [online]. Available: https://scholar.sun.ac.za/items/23ba3d0d-1641-4f96-8f8d-18ee86df949dThis research is examining whether there is a connection between the powers and principalities and the demonic as taught by some western missiologists about strategic level spiritual warfare (SLSW) on the one hand and mystical powers as found in African Religion (AR). The study is engaging with the dialogue between the two parameters and examining whether there is continuity or discontinuity, embrace or hostility. Further to that, the study examines whether practising SLSW and its associated spiritual mapping can bring about community transformation and enhance evangelism. The study is also investigating why sections of the Pentecostal Christians in Africa, particularly neo-Pentecostals, seem to identify so easily with these teachings.
The key western missiologists who are proponents of this are C. Peter Wagner, Charles Kraft, George Otis Jr. and Cindy Jacobs among many others. Their teachings are compared with what is prevalent among adherents of AR as indicated by Yusuf Turaki, John S. Mbiti, Philip Steyne, Kwame Bediako and Byang Kato among many others.
The Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization played a midwifery role from one of the tracks that was running at Manila Congress in 1989. This culminated in post-congress seminars, conferences, prayer rallies and literature which were propagating a new model of prayer that was more effective in bringing about evangelism and community transformation. Some of the sources used were cultural and traditional, while others were anecdotal, including fictional. But of great influence in the worldview of the proponents were their experiences as missionaries in other cultures, thus reflecting a missionary counter-influence impact. Some of these cultures were African or Latin American.
The study examines the African perspectives on mystical powers and compares how this relates to the understanding of powers and principalities as seen in strategic level spiritual warfare. In analysing the nature of this dialogue and whether it enhances continuity or discontinuity, the study engages with the views of existentialists, structuralists, emergentists, accommodationists, realists and Biblicists.
The study adopts a dialogical framework that examines encounterology, dialogical processes as presented by Lochhead, and different contextual models. It engages with the critical contextualisation of Paul Hiebert as a valid criterion for evaluating the level of hybridity or dualism. The study adopts qualitative research method and combines desktop methodology and historical case study as an illustration of one of the success narratives often quoted by proponents of SLSW. The study notes that during revival times, such outcomes have often been observed purely out of prayers rather than strategic level spiritual warfare.
Finally, the study looks at the missiological implications of these teachings and gleans both what can be learned by the wider church and what should be avoided. The study notes that critical contextualisation would lead to inculturation, while uncritical contextualisation would lead to negative syncretism which would derail the church. The study notes that openness to the supernatural is a window that the church can use to propagate the Gospel to those who are open to mystical powers.
From their teachings and writings, the proponents of strategic level spiritual warfare oppose any engagement with mystical powers within African Religions, thus they exercise discontinuity. From their practice, they conduct perambulatory prayers to deal with spirit beings enshrined in some of the communities and cities as taught in pre-existing religions. In this they are exercising continuity both in belief and in practice. In essence, the proponents of SLSW seem to hold both continuity and discontinuity in tension, thus affirming that there is an osmotic relationship between the two entities. While some missionaries may have had missionary tours of duty in cultures which were different from their own, the study shows that there is cultural counterinfluence on missionaries which affects their worldviews such that they adopt some of the views of their host communities.
These findings are useful to the Christian community in its missionary preparation and work, such that they should propagate a Christianity that addresses the power needs in the African context. This may be the reason why Pentecostalism is spreading so rapidly in the continent of Africa.Doctora
A Maintenance Decision Support Digital Twin for Passenger Trainset Life Cycle Costing
Get PDFThesis (MEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2025.Kirkman, A. L. 2025. A Maintenance Decision Support Digital Twin for Passenger Trainset Life Cycle Costing. Unpublished masters thesis. Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University [online]. Available: https://scholar.sun.ac.za/items/28564441-8830-4e35-bf6a-927fe6b5e960Digital twin (DT) technology has the potential to assist the railway industry through data-led optimisation of maintenance, improving overall operational performance, and reducing life cycle costs (LCC). However, limited research exists on a comprehensive DT architecture that integrates LCC, maintenance, and operational data throughout the entire life cycle of a fleet of railway assets. The objective of this thesis is the development of a proof-of-concept DT system that, using passenger trainsets’ operational and maintenance-related data, as well as LCC models, will support maintenance decisions. The scope encompasses planned maintenance considerations, including both preventive and corrective maintenance, for a fleet of trainsets built to a set of baselines. The system enables analysis from a fleet-wide level down to individual components and facilitates analysis of differences between baselines, trainsets, subsystems, and components. The DT architecture presented in the thesis builds on a service-oriented reference architecture and incorporates a hierarchical structure to represent the railway fleet environment. In this hierarchy, type digital twin aggregates (TDTAs) and DTs are created for trainsets, their subsystems, individual components, maintenance processes, and resources across different baselines. TDTAs are introduced to group functionally similar subsystems and components to handle the complexity of managing large numbers of trainsets with varying configurations. A proof-of-concept implementation of the DT architecture was developed for a railway industry case study focusing on passenger trainset LCC. The implementation demonstrates the DT architecture's ability to ingest data from external sources, perform data transformations, and integrate baseline, trainset, subsystem, and component instances into the DT hierarchy. The implementation could perform LCC analyses and facilitate cost comparisons across different baselines, trainsets, subsystems, and components. Additionally, maintenance decision support was provided through what-if analysis capabilities, enabling stakeholders to evaluate the cost implications of different maintenance plans. The evaluation demonstrates that the use of aggregation based on TDTAs was key to addressing scalability constraints in railway fleet management, enabling the architecture to manage large numbers of trainsets. The service-oriented design provides modularity that supports independent component development and system evolution. The hierarchical organisation from baseline to component level enables both fleet-wide analysis and detailed component-level decision support. However, the evaluation reveals some architectural trade-offs, including sequential processing constraints due to the data loading strategies and scalability limitations in concurrent request handling. This work addresses a significant gap in DT applications for railway asset management, particularly the integration of DT technology with LCC for comprehensive fleet management. This research demonstrates how DT aggregation principles can transition railway operators from fragmented, baseline-specific maintenance analysis to integrated fleet-wide decision support, potentially improving maintenance efficiency and reducing LCC through better-informed maintenance planning decisions across a fleet of trainsets.Master
The impact of social policies on well-being and health: Three studies from South Africa
Get PDFThesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2025.Khumalo, T. J. 2025. The impact of social policies on well-being and health: Three studies from South Africa. Unpublished doctoral dissertation. Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University [online]. Available: https://scholar.sun.ac.za/items/296fc914-4ed8-43ce-8d88-59638c40dc61Vulnerable individuals are often trapped in a cycle of poverty and poor health that could span generations. The debate about the types of interventions that can effectively break this cycle continues. This dissertation contributes to this debate by showing that the design and implementation of social policies at critical life stages can break or reinforce this cycle through their indirect impact on health. It examines the effect of three social policies, each aimed at a different phase of the life cycle, on the well-being and health of vulnerable individuals in South Africa. Chapter 2 examines the impact of the cessation of South Africa’s child support grant on the mental health of adolescents. The child support grant programme was launched in 1998 as an unconditional cash transfer given to low-income households. Since its launch, the age limit for eligibility has repeatedly been extended. The grant lapses at the end of the month when the beneficiary reaches this age limit. We exploit this age cut-off point for eligibility using a regression discontinuity design. Using nationally representative data from the National Income Dynamics Study (NIDS), we find that the cessation of the child support grant increases the depressive symptoms of the beneficiary. The results of the mechanism analysis suggest that the observed increase in depressive symptoms is mediated by the pressure to participate in the labour market and dropping out of school. These findings shed light on the unintended consequences of withdrawing financial support from vulnerable populations, especially when this withdrawal occurs at a critical stage of life such as adolescence. In South Africa, this occurs as adolescents exit the school system and face the country’s extremely high youth unemployment rates. Chapter 3 examines the impact of a programme that provides free housing on mental health. To address rapid rural-urban migration and housing poverty, the South African government provided and subsidised more than 5 million houses to vulnerable individuals. The allocation of these free brick-and-mortar houses was based on waiting lists. We exploit this quasi-random allocation of the houses and use a staggered difference-in-differences approach to estimate the effect of receiving housing on mental health. The chapter uses data from NIDS. We find that receiving formal housing decreases depressive symptoms, with stronger effects observed among individuals who moved from an informal home compared to those who moved from a formal house. Mediation analysis suggests that these effects are primarily driven by improved access to basic sanitation and adequate water. Chapter 4 investigates whether an emergency policy that temporarily banned alcohol improved health outcomes at birth. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the South African government temporarily banned the sale and transport of alcohol to limit social gatherings and free hospitals of alcohol-related trauma cases to prepare for possible hospitalisation related to COVID-19. We use the sudden and unexpected alcohol ban as a natural experiment to examine its effect on birth weight in the Western Cape province of South Africa. Using recorded births from 2017 to 2024 of women participating in the Building Healthier Communities (BHC) study, we find that in utero exposure to the alcohol ban in the first trimester of pregnancy had a significant and large impact on birth weight. These results suggest that, given the high levels of alcohol consumption and prenatal alcohol exposure in South Africa, stringent alcohol policies can lead to positive unintended consequences, benefiting the well-being of future generations beyond immediate targets.Doctora