9 research outputs found
The therapeutic value of Aloe Ferox Mill
No full textThesis (M. Tech. (Biomedical Technology)) -- Central University of Technology, 2014The rising costs of health care, the outbreak of drug resistant organisms, health
depleting lifestyles and the risky side effects of currently used drugs are world-wide
problems. This has led to the search for novel drugs and drug leads. Traditional
healers and other individuals across the globe possess unlimited knowledge on the
healing powers of different plants that has been passed on through generations. This
knowledge together with scientific investigations can lead to the eradication of most
of the diseases either by treatment or prevention.
Aloe ferox Mill. is one of the plants that have gained a lot of interest from the
pharmaceutical industry. The plant has over 80 documented medicinal uses. These
include treatment of impotence and infertility, sexually transmitted infections, arthritis,
hypertension, leukaemia, bacterial and fungal infections. It is also known as a blood
purifier, widely used as a laxative and anti- inflammatory agent. More research is
required to discover more about A. ferox and its benefits to health as well as to
investigate its potential for the development of novel drugs.
The current study was focused at investigating the anti- cancer, anti- microbial antidiabetic,
cytotoxic activities and phytochemical composition of leaf extracts of A.
ferox. Three cancer cell lines namely: breast (MCF7), colon (HCT116) and prostate
(PC3) cancer cell lines were used to investigate the anticancer activity of the extracts
using the Sulforhodamine B (SRB) method.
To determine the anti- diabetic activity of the plant extracts the C2C12 and Chang
cell in- vitro models of glucose uptake were used. The micro- dilution technique was
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used to evaluate the antibacterial and antifungal activity of the extract. The safety of
these extracts against normal human foetal lung fibroblasts (W138), Chang and
C2C12 cells was done by through the SRB and the MTT methods. To determine the
phytochemical profile of A. ferox the DPPH radical scavenging and the Folin
Ciocalteu methods were used to test the antioxidant activity and the total phenolic
content of the different extracts respectively. Different methods were used to
determine the presence of phytochemicals such as steroids, saponins, alkaloids,
carbohydrates and flavonoids. LCMS was also done to detect the elemental
composition of the plant extracts.
According to the CSIR criteria A. ferox was inactive against the cancer cell lines
used. It however exhibited antioxidant activity even at low concentrations, with an
EC50 of 0.865 ± 0.783. The methanol extract showed more phenolic content than
the dichloromethane and aqueous extracts at a concentration of 5mg/ml. It is
believed that the antioxidant activity correlates with the phenolic content and quality
of the phenols present in the plant and more assays have to be done to prove this
hypothesis. Other phytochemicals found in the extract included saponins, steroids,
alkaloids as well as flavonoids. Both the methanol and aqueous extracts of A. ferox
caused a significant increase in glucose uptake by C2C12 cells but caused a slightly
decreased uptake by the Chang cells. The plant extracts inhibited the growth of
Staphylococcus epidermidis, Streptococcus pneumonia, Escherichia coli and
Candida albicans at a concentration of 15mg/ml extract. Candida tropicalis and
Escherichia faecalis were resistant to A. ferox extracts. Finally the extracts showed
no toxic activity against the normal foetal lung fibroblasts, Chang and C2C12 cells
validating the safety of this plant for human use.
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The results in conjunction with literature findings show A. ferox to be a promising
source of drugs and therapeutic agents. Due to the fact that traditional healers
already rely on it as treatment for different ailments, it is important that the safety of
the plant for use has been validated though other studies and clinical trial still need
to be done to fully confirm this. All the information gathered also showed this plant to
be of great benefit against major health problems, responsible for millions of deaths
each year such as cancer, cardiovascular and inflammatory diseases, and diabetes.
There is however still a great need for more investigation to be done on this plant
against a vast majority of organisms and diseases so as to fully benefit from it
Pre legislative and legislative scrutiny processes: the contribution of Parliament to quality legislation
No full textIn this LLM dissertation the author argues that deficiencies in the pre-legislative and legislative scrutiny processes harbours bad quality legislation. The author makes an analysis of the pre-legislative and legislative process in Botswana to highlight the deficiencies which may harbour bad quality legislation and uses the Report of the Select Committee on the Modernisation of the House of Commons of 1997 as criteria of how pre-legislative scrutiny can benefit and enhance quality of legislation and assesses the system in Botswana against the said criteria. To this end the dissertation relies on the views of the authors who have studied the process in the United Kingdom looking at bills that had undergone the process to establish the effect of the process on quality of those bills. They are therefore used as lessons for Botswana. The dissertation also relies on other relevant literature and materials on the subject matter
Chronic inflammatory lung disease in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected children. Epidemiological considerations, aetiological determinants and the efficacy of low dose erythromycin in bronchiectasis
No full textThesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2012.Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection has reached epidemic proportions in South Africa. The availability of highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART) prolongs life in HIV-infected persons, who may subsequently present with chronic manifestations of HIV-infection. The respiratory morbidity attendant to HIV-infection, even in the presence of HAART is high, the aftermath of which is lung tissue destruction and bronchiectasis. As a consequence of the political decision not to offer HAART to HIV-infected children, a number of children in South Africa have been left with severe consequences of uncontrolled HIV-infection. Bronchiectasis is one of those and because children with this devastating condition were numerous in the Pretoria region, the author and her colleagues began a Chronic Lung Disease Clinic in that region. This prompted the idea of investigating both the epidemiological profiles of these children and an attempt to intervene with both standard bronchiectasis guideline care and the use of a form of therapy commonly employed in other forms of bronchiectasis. This thesis explores those ideas. Important new and novel findings that were consequent were; that bronchiectasis is diagnosed late in HIV-infected children at a mean age of 6.9 years. The predominant organisms cultured from the airways are Haemophilus influenzae and parainfluenzae in 49% of samples. Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA), common in cystic fibrosis (CF)-bronchiectasis is an uncommon pathogen in HIV-related bronchiectasis; isolated in only 2% of specimens. Tuberculosis (TB), at least as reported, is a significant antecedent of bronchiectasis, reported in 48.5%of children. A further 21.2% of the patients had received more than two courses of anti-TB treatment. However, proof of TB infection has been lacking. Respiratory morbidity is significant with the mean forced expiratory flow in one second (FEV1) of 53%, in this cohort at the time of presentation. Thirty-six percent of all children were exposed to environmental tobacco smoke, although this was not correlated with disease severity or HIVdisease progression. There is elevation of immunoglobulins in HIV-related bronchiectasis, with a mean IgE of 79 kU/l. This was not, though, associated with HIV disease progression as previously described in adult studies, nor with the presence of allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA). The elevation in IgE was also not associated with an elevation of T helper-2 mediated cytokines, confirming the lack of association with atopy. The predominant cytokine, identified is interleukin (IL)-8, both systemically and locally (in airway secretions). There was elevation of other T helper-1 driven cytokines, reflecting an ability to mediate adequate inflammatory responses, which was independent of the level of immunosuppression. With the presence of HAART, there was a decline in the pro-inflammatory cytokines over time, which may be attributed to the ongoing effect of HAART that ties in to, or goes beyond the restoration of T cell numbers. Soluble triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells (sTREM), an innate immune marker, is elevated in children with HIV-related bronchiectasis when compared to a control group of children with cystic fibrosis-related bronchiectasis. sTREM is not associated with the presence of exacerbations and the level of immunosuppression. The use of an anti-inflammatory drug erythromycin also did not impact the sTREM values. There was also no relationship between sTREM and pro and antiinflammatory cytokines and chemokines. Fluorine-18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (18F-FDG PET) could not reliably predict the presence of pulmonary exacerbations. Its diagnostic value was limited to identifying disease activity in acute pneumonia. 18F-FDG PET also had no significant correlation with CRP, inflammatory cytokines or markers of HIV disease activity. In a randomised controlled trial of erythromycin, a cost-effective immunomodulatory drug, compared to placebo, erythromycin was ineffective in reducing the number of pulmonary exacerbations. Erythromycin also failed to demonstrate any effect on systemic and local pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines/chemokines. With access to anti-retroviral therapy, airway clearance, nutritional rehabilitation and vigilant follow up there was an improvement in pulmonary function parameters and stability of the degree of bronchiectasis that we propose is probably in keeping with an organ system disease modifying effect that may be, an as yet, undefined and undescribed byproduct of HAART.Paediatrics and Child Healthunrestricte
Research Mentorship
No full text“The lessons drawn on in this book are clear: do not wait to reach some place or position in life where you feel like you are prepared to give back or pour into people; you are already prepared and positioned on some level!” Prof Glenda Gray, President and CEO of the South African Medical Research Council
There are barely any research mentorship books despite many conversations on it within academia and the role it can potentially play in the development and retention of academics in the pipeline. Academic institutions, appear not to have any solid mentorship frameworks that can be used to guide academics in the provision of robust research mentorship programmes. This original book details how research mentorship helped the author, a black woman in a predominately male-dominated patriarchal environment and the 33 mentees whose expressions have been captured in the book, to reach the pinnacle of academia despite a severe shortage of African women who have ascended to leadership roles within academia. The book showcases the value of research mentorship in developing leadership and support to the next generation of academics as well as deduce lessons learnt that can help to carry the knowledge enterprise forward. Further, it illustrates how research mentorship aided African women researchers in navigating non-diverse environments, early career struggles, post-graduate studies, work-life challenges as well complexities of scientific productivity, professional visibility, scientific connectivity (networks and collaborations), and resource mobilization, among others. The book offers potential mentors and mentees context-specific guidelines for effective mentorship, and best practices to enable scale-up. It also demonstrates how mentorship can contribute towards inclusivity and diversity and thus aid in narrowing persistent disparities in research, science, and academia
Omphile Umphi Modise : diteng le dimelo tsa baanelwabagolo (Setswana)
No full textDissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2011.This study examines D.P.S Monyaise’s short story titled Omphile Umphi Modise which were scrutinized by Mogapi (1992), Pretorius (1990), Manyaka (1992), Shole (1997) and Malimabe (1998). Their investigation did not only focus on the content of the short story, but also concentrated on the structure and style of the author. When scrutinizing Omphile Umphi Modise, the focus mainly falls on content and characterization of the characters. This research is based on an adopted narratological model, which is used by Groenewald (1993) and Mojalefa (1994).. When investigating the content, emphasis is put on the topic as a theme and part of the plot, which is imperative in the analysis of Omphile Umphi Modise. Two terms which are to define and describe are used to explain and unravel ideas that were used by the writer to simplify the problems a reader would encounter in this investigation. When analyzing the content as theory, the following four elements are noticed: characters, events, time and place. Another important aspect on the level of content is the division of the characters into two subgroups, namely quarrelsome and kindhearted.. In Omphile Umphi Modise, the kindhearted is Motlalepule, while the quarrelsome is rraModise who blatantly refuses to see Motlalepule’s good side. These two characters are described by the following: intention, patronage abilities, success and resistance. The investigation explains that the theme, which is ‘keeping a secret can lead to one’s doom’, is the one that connects the events and the plot, with the intention of highlighting the message to attract the reader. Design is one of the most important aspects of the plot. It is herewithin divided into two sections which highlight the characterization of the protagonist and antagonist as well as the revelation of the aspect of tragedy in Omphile Umphi Modise. The characters are divided into two sections, namely main and minor characters. The main characters are the protagonist, the antagonist and the tritagonist. The antagonist in Omphile Umphi Modise is rraModise/Mosimane yo o tedu tsebeng/ tedu tsa katse who is portrayed to be evil because he mandated Thandi, a minor character, to put drugs in the tea Motlalepule was about to drink, and sadly ended up drinking it herself. After she was drugged, mosimane yo tedu tsebeng/tedu tsa katse raped and impregnated her. The writer uses techniques to explain the personality traits of the characters. He employs a distinguishing technique to highlight personality traits of Motlalepule which are beauty, misfortune, suffering, and poverty. These are explained by the following techniques: focus, differentiation, conflict, use of the possessive, use of the adjective form, point of view, use of diminutive form, exaggeration, use of the pronoun, use of idioms, proverbs and, similes and omission. Differentiation is employed to highlight leadership as a personality trait of the antagonist, mosimane yo o tedu tsebeng/ tedu tsa katse/rraModise is which is explained by two techniques: indicative mood and point of view. AFRIKAANS : In hierdie ondersoek word D.P.S Monyaise se kortverhaal getiteld Omphile Umphi Modise ontleed. Dié kortverhaal is krities ontleed deur Mogapi (1992), Pretorius (1990), Manyaka (1992), Shole (1997) en Malimabe (1998). Hulle ondersoeke het nie slegs die inhoud van die kortverhaal betrek nie, maar het ook op die struktuur van die kortverhaal en die styl van die skrywer gefokus. Met die ontleding van Omphile Umphi Modise, word daar gekonsentreer op twee aspekte, naamlik inhoud en karaktarisering van die karakters. Hierdie navorsing word gebaseer op die aangenome narratologiese model wat gebruik word deur Mojalefa (1994) en Groenewald (1993).. Wanneer die inhoud ondersoek word, word daar klem gelê op die onderwerp as ‘n tema en as deel van die plot, wat van belang is in die analise van Omphile Umphi Modise. Idees wat deur die skrywer gebruik is om die probleme van die leser ten opsigte van die verstaan van die ondersoek te vereenvoudig, word twee terme naamlik en defineer en te interpreteer verduidelik en geanaliseer. Wanneer die inhoud as teorie ontleed word, word die volgende vier elemente betrek: karakters, gebeure, tyd en plek. ‘n Ander belangrike aspek is die vlak van inhoud – die karakters word in twee subgroepe verdeel, naamlik. antagonis en protagonis. In Omphile Umphi Modise, is Motlalepule die protagonis, terwyl rraModise die antagonis is wat blatant weier om Motlalepule se goeie kant raak te sien. Hierdie twee karakters word beskryf deur intensie, vermoë, sukses en teenstand. Die ondersoek verduidelik dat die tema ‘om ‘n geheim te hou wat tot ‘n mens se ondergang kan lei’, die een is wat gebeure en plot koppel, met die doel om die boodskap uit te lig om sodoende die leser te interesseer. Ontwerp is een van die belangrikste aspekte van die plot. Dit word onderverdeel in twee afdelings wat die karakterisering van die protagonis en antagonis, sowel as die tragedieaspek van Omphile Umphi Modise beklemtoon. Die karakters word in twee groepe verdeel, naamlik. hoofkarakters en newekarakters. Die hoofkarakters is die protagonis, die antagonis en die tritagonis. Die antagonis in Omphile Umphi Modise is rraModise/Mosimane wa tedu tsebeng/ tedu tsa katse wat uitgebeeld word as boos, omdat hy Thandi, ‘n newekarakter, oorreed het om ‘n dwelmmiddel in Motlalepule se tee te gooi, en dit toe self gedrink het. Nadat sy bedwelm is, het mosimane yo tedu tsebeng/tedu tsa katse haar verkrag en swanger gemaak. Die skrywer gebruik verskillende tegnieke om die persoonlikheidskenmerke van die karakters uit te beeld. Hy gebruik ‘n spesifieke tegniek om die persoonlikheidskenmerke van Motlalepule uit te lig, naamlik skoonheid, ongeluk, swaarkry en armoede. Hierdie kenmerke word uitgelig deur die volgende tegnieke: fokus, differensiasie, konflik, die possessiewe vorm die adjektiewe vorm, perspektief, die diminutiewe vorm,, oordrywing, die gebruik van die voornaamwoord, die gebruik van idiome, spreekwoorde en vergelykings en elisie. Differensiasie is gebruik om leierskap as ‘n persoonlikheidskenmerk van die antagonis, mosimane yo o tedu tsebeng/ tedu tsa katse/rraModise uit te lig en wat verder verduidelik word deur twee tegnieke naamlik indikatiewe modus en perspektief.African Languagesunrestricte
Exploring the dynamics of impact investments in Botswana: the case of asset managers and owners
No full textMobilising adequate finance remains an unbending challenge to socio-economic development. And amidst the current recovery from the slow-down that ensued in the last two years because of the Covid19 pandemic, never has there been a greater need to find inclusive, and impactful solutions to funding development. Fortunately, impact investing is a means through which investors ‘can put their principal where their principles are' and still be able to generate both social and financial returns, making it a revolutionary instrument for delivering blended value. Since development in Botswana has largely been financed using public sector funds, to better understand how private capital has been used to create value beyond private profit, the author undertook a phenomenological descriptive qualitative study to identify and provide a detailed description of the market characteristics, investor preferences and measurement practices of Botswana's impact investing sector. Purposive sampling was used to collect data through interviews with 14 participants operating as supply side actors in the asset management industry, the data of which was evaluated using thematic and content analysis. From the analysis, this study found that; (i) impact investing in Botswana is not a well specified construct, with varying interpretations; (ii) the local market is relatively small, underdeveloped and predominantly led by institutional investors the bulk of which prefer to use private capital to fund impact; (iii) the most frequently used approach to sustainable responsible investing is ESG investing; and (iv) popular impact themes include job creation, financial inclusion, quality healthcare, poverty eradication and infrastructure development. Impact investors are motivated by both monetary and non-monetary incentives influenced by ecological, ethical, political, social, and/or other predispositions, the former of which appears to be a primary consideration. The degree of influence is however dependent on investor specific attributes such as investor type, ownership structure, objectives, and risk appetite. Moreover, whilst considered contextual, local investors seem to favour the use of both customised approaches to impact measurement such as organisational specific theory of change models and standardised approaches with a penchant towards aligning impact goals and measurement frameworks with national and global priorities. Our assessment also revealed that the growth and productive capacity of the sector is limited by definitional, measurement, data, regulatory, governance, market, capital, and capacity constraints amongst others. Our findings suggest that for the impact investment market to function optimally; institutions ought to invest in enabling technologies and implementation frameworks, multi-layered partnerships, as well as establishing requisite policy, structural, governance and regulatory reforms to facilitate evidence-based policymaking, industry standardisation, infrastructure development, and capacity building. Recommendations for future research include conducting a quantitative study to assess the correlation of key variables, a study that is representative of other ecosystem actors as well as others that focus on sector or problem specific factors
Enhancement of electrochemical performance of monolayer SnS2 for Li/Na-ion batteries through a sulphur vacancy : a DFT study
No full textDATA AVAILABILITY : The datasets generated during and/or analysed during
the current study are available from the corresponding author on
reasonable request.Various transition metal dichalcogenides materials have been investigated from bulk to monolayer phases for different
advanced technological applications. Tin disulfide monolayer offers advantages as an anode material for Li/Na-ion batteries,
although it cannot be considered ideal for direct exploitation. We systematically performed a comparative study of the
adsorption and diffusion behaviour of Li/Na on a pristine SnS2 monolayer and on a SnS2 monolayer with S-vacancy for
enhancement of electrochemical performance, using density functional theory approach. Although all the adsorption sites
are exothermic, it was established that Li/Na adatoms mostly prefer to bind strongly on SnS2 monolayer with S-vacancy but
avoiding the S-vacancy site. It was established that avoiding the S-vacancy site along the path, excellent diffusion barriers of
0.19 eV for Li and 0.13 eV for Na were achieved, suggesting possible ultrafast charge/discharge rate. Due to reduced molar
mass, the SnS2 monolayer with S-vacancy has a slightly higher storage capacity than its pristine counterparts for both Li
and Na adatoms. The obtained open circuit voltage values are within the range of 0.25–3.00 V assuring that the formation
of dendrites can surely be averted for the envisaged battery operation. Understanding the effects of an S-vacancy on the
electrochemical properties of Li/Na on the SnS2 monolayer allows us to consider possible improvements to energy storage
devices that can be applied as a result of improved anode material.The University of Pretoria and the National Institute for Theoretical and Computational Sciences (NITheCS). Open access funding provided by University of Pretoria.https://link.springer.com/journal/10008am2024PhysicsSDG-09: Industry, innovation and infrastructur
Tshekatsheko ya diteng le poloto ya Go ša Baori ka D.P.S. Monyaise
No full textDissertation (MA (African Languages))--University of Pretoria, 2007.A representative example of Monyaise’s work is his novel Go ša Baori, published in 1970. A survey of the literature reveals that this novel has already been investigated, by Malope R.M and (1986), Shole J. S.S (1988) who analysed only the dream found in this novel. The chief aim of this investigation is thus to critically analyse the structure of the novel Go ša Baori at the level of content and plot, using two research methods, namely definition and interpretation, within the context of an adapted narratological model. This model conceives of a text according to three levels, namely content, plot and style, and focuses on the topic of the content, the theme of the plot and the atmosphere of the style. Thus this research study differs from the two previous investigations of Go ša Baori because it focuses on the content level of the text by examining the topic, and the plot level by analysing the theme. The content of a text is coordinated by the topic to form a unified entity. The topic of the novel we are investigating is reflected in its title, namely Go ša Baori. The topic is thus of vital importance, and determines the arrangement and presentation of four important elements of content, namely character, time, place and events. These four elements are examined in more detail. The characters of the novel can be grouped into two categories, namely kind-hearted person (Olebile) and quarrelsome person (Wapeipi). These two content characters are investigated using the concepts of intention, patronage, resistance, assistance and success. Time and place together fall under setting. Setting can be defined as the natural and artificial environment in which characters in literature live and move (Roberts 1982:1).Time is then the period in which the events of the plot happen, and the order in which they happen. This can be expressed in various units, for example a day, month or year. Place denotes the geographical and topological position in which the characters in the story are situated and the events of the plot take place. Bal (1985: 8) regards the place within which the characters find themselves as the ‘frame’. The last of the four elements, the events, together make up the plot of the drama, which Strachan (1988: 20) and Magapa (1997: 11) describe as the second level of the text. Here theme is the key. The theme of the novel Go ša Baori centres on jealousy and competitive spirit. The plot is examined by focusing on the special functions in the plot of the protagonist Olebile and the antagonist Wapeipi, and the events related to them are classified as representing either good or evil. This study of Go ša Baori not only reveals how Monyaise creates his characters but also how he selects and shapes them for the purpose of dramatizing human life with all its varied manifestations. The actions that take place reveal essential character traits of the various characters, as do the words of the author as he describes Wapeipi as someone who makes up his mind at once and he is prepared to be hurt emotionally. While on the other hand, Olebile is a soft spoken man and very loving who shows his love to his fiancée by buying her a big diamond ring. The plot is then examined according to the conflicts that occur in its various stages, namely the exposition, the development, the climax and the denouement. There are twelve distinct conflicts that can be identified occurring between characters in the events of the plot. Monyaise using three techniques, namely repetition, elision and motif, presents the events of the exposition, which form the first conflict that sets the plot going. In the development, several other techniques are used to show the conflicting forces of character and events and to emphasize the message of the novel. The other conflicts, which are between other characters like the helpers, can be described as medium, and are not examined in great detail, though they are vital for creating suspense. In the climax phase the techniques of focus, idioms and motif are examined, particularly in the conflict between the protagonist and the antagonist, which leads to the death of the protagonist caused by emotions and complications. The conflict in the denouement phase is characterised by a very important technique, shadow to strengthen the theme of Go ša Baori. Here Monyaise uses this important technique, to strengthen the presentation of the theme of Go ša Baori. Overall, the most frequently used techniques are repetition, motif, idioms, elision, focus, rhetorical questions and foreshadowing. This novel can be classified as a tragic novel, because at the end, the antagonist dies. Using this tragic ending, Monyaise tries to caution his audience against jealousy and a competitive spirit. Thus it is the theme that holds the audience to the end of the novel.African LanguagesMA (African Languages)unrestricte
Consistent and Correct Use of Condoms With Lubricants and Associated Factors Among Men Who Have Sex With Men from the Ghana Men’s Study II: Protocol for a Mixed Methods Study
No full textBackgroundMen who have sex with men (MSM) experience a disproportionate burden of HIV infection globally, including in Ghana. The use of condoms with lubricants correctly and consistently plays a vital role in reducing the number of new HIV infections among MSM. However, there are concerns about the consistent and correct use of condoms and lubricants among MSM in Ghana. In this regard, there is a need to understand context-specific factors associated with consistent and correct condom use with lubricants.
ObjectiveThis study aims to determine the current scope of consistent and correct use of condoms with lubricants, associated factors, interventions, and user- and service-related challenges on correct condom and lubricant use among the MSM population in Ghana.
MethodsThe study will use a mixed methods study approach. First, a retrospective analysis of the Ghana Men’s Study II data set involving 4095 MSM will be conducted to determine the scope of consistency and correct use of condoms with lubricants as well as associated factors. The data will be imported into STATA (version 17; StataCorp LLC) to treat missing data and outliers before the analysis. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses will be conducted to determine the associated factors of consistent condom use with lubricants. All statistical analyses will be done at a 95% CI, with significant differences at P<.05. Second, in-depth interviews with a purposive sample of about 15-20 stakeholders will also be conducted to understand contextual issues regarding the factors identified, identify existing interventions for correct condom and lubricant use, user and service-related challenges, and how best to address those challenges from the stakeholders’ perspectives. For qualitative data, thematic analysis will be conducted using Atlas.ti version 23.1.1.
ResultsQualitative and quantitative results will be triangulated together with systematic review results, and key findings will be highlighted and used to guide the development of a predictive model for improving correct and consistent condom use with lubrication among MSM. This protocol paper, part of a doctoral study by the first author (RA), received approval from the Research and Ethics Committee of the University of Johannesburg on May 10, 2024. Data collection commenced on August 20, 2024, and the expected results will be published by October 2025.
ConclusionsResults from qualitative interviews and secondary data analysis will be triangulated to develop a predictive model to strengthen the correct and consistent use of condoms with condom-compatible lubricants among MSM and other key population groups in Ghana and other parts of sub-Saharan Africa for future pandemic preparedness, policy making, and targeted budget allocation.
International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)DERR1-10.2196/6327
