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SUMMARY ARTICLE 1
https://www.nicd.ac.za/water-cuts-in-south-africa-are-hurting-hospitals-and-clinics-theres-an-
increased-risk-of-infections/
 South Africa is facing water shortages due to changing rainfall patterns and
the electricity crisis, leading to health facilities running out of water.
 Healthcare-associated infections are a major cause of illness and death in
hospitals, with 15 out of every 100 patients in low- and middle-income
countries getting an infection, and seven out of 100 in high-income countries.
 Common healthcare-associated infections include bloodstream, cerebrospinal
fluid, respiratory system, surgical sites, skin and soft tissue, and urinary tract
infections. Intravenous and other devices are likely sources of infections in
hospital settings, and bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites are the most
common.
 Patients are at higher risk of getting infections if they have underlying
conditions, such as diabetes, renal failure, malignancies, long stays in
hospital, surgical or invasive procedures, insertion of medical devices,
intravenous tubing, and artificial joint replacement.
 Patients may also develop infection caused by microorganism with emerging
antimicrobial resistance while on antimicrobial treatment or have been treated
a few months to a year before.
 Delivery of quality healthcare should take place in a hygienically clean and
safe environment, with adequate supply of clean running water and good
sanitation for both patients and staff.
 Hand wash stations with water, soap, clean towels or alcohol-based hand rub
should be available, and standards for water quality, sanitation and
environmental health should be met. Hand sanitisers must have at least 70%
alcohol by volume.
 Pathogens such as Legionella and non-tuberculous mycobacteria can
contaminate deep infrastructure, and other bacteria and moulds can adhere
to surfaces at or near taps and sinks.
 Hospital management teams should have systems to address WASH
malfunction or other related issues. Infection prevention and control
programmes are important to protect vulnerable patients, staff and visitors.
 Municipalities should have water quality assurance systems in place to
ensure safe drinking water, as contaminated water can cause outbreaks in
healthcare settings.
 Hospital management should have a risk assessment plan for water
shortages and communicate with municipalities about an alternative supply of
clean water.
 Possible solutions include a permanent or temporary backup water supply,
which must be maintained properly to avoid contamination and infection.
1. Analyse the speeches and media clips to determine the socio-economic and political
context which should inform government’s national agenda in 2023.
2. Based on the analysis of all the consulted readings, identify the implications and
challenges for social work and social welfare service delivery.
3. Reflect on your experience in reading and preparing for the assignment and how
you foresee you will contribute to the debate in the team.
SUMMARY: ARTICLE 2
https://www.iol.co.za/the-star/news/graduates-queue-for-grants-instead-of-jobs-ffc3483c-
7e7c-4f64-99d9-b158c765c18a
 The country has seen more than 700 000 graduates and young people join
the social development queues in search for the R350 Social Relief of
Distress Grant (SRD) grant has sent shock waves across the country.
 Reports indicated that more and more unemployed graduates were now
approaching the department of social development to apply for grants instead
of accessing job opportunities.
 Two weeks after more than 1000 unemployed medical doctors affiliated with
the SA Medical Association Trade Union took to the streets of Pretoria,
demanding jobs across SA’s clinics and hospitals.
 In the absence of meaningful jobs for graduates across sectors, the R350
grant presented an income to millions of unemployed graduates.
 In the absence of jobs, it is not surprising that you find more and more
graduates applying for social grants. It is a worrying trend as graduates, even
in highly skilled sectors of the economy such as doctors, are found sitting at
home without jobs.
 Social Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu revealed that the SA Social
Security Agency (Sassa) had received more than 13.5 million applications for
the SRD grant as of the end of January, and more than 716 000 tertiary
graduates had applied.
 It was reported that the country has the highest youth unemployment rate of
60% and Latest statistics have put the country’s youth unemployment rate at
64.18%.
 “This is a scandal that should bring shame to policymakers and decision-
makers. This shows that the policy choices have let down badly these young
people, who are watching their dreams pass them.
 The government should implement policies that are able to meet the
graduates needs and create policies that discourage organisations from hiring
people who only have experience for the jobs, make industries easier for
young graduates to enter.
 Majority of the people who have applied for the SRD (social relief distress)
grants are young people and are mostly female.
 it is expected that Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana should table his
Budget speech, in which he will outline key focus areas for the country’s
economic recovery.
 The minister should have something tangible to give the more than 10 million
unemployed youth of this country.
 The upcoming Budget speech could make a difference if it allocates money
for the Presidential Employment Programme to absorb a million young
people.
 They also need to finalise the establishment of a state bank so that young
people can get affordable funding to start businesses. We need a people-
centred budget that caters to rural and township economies.
Summary
A Rapid Assessment of Violence Crisis Services during COVID-19 Lockdowns

in South Africa
 Prior to COVID-19, South Africa faced a well-documented epidemic of
gender-based violence (GBV). The most recent South African Demographic
and Health Survey (DHS) reports that more than a quarter (26%) of ever-
partnered South African women have experienced any type of physical,
sexual, or emotional violence by a partner.
 The DHS also reported that the proportion of women reporting violence by a
partner in the last year varied significantly by province, which was as low as
7% in Limpopo and as high as 18% in North West.
 The recent R1.6 billion Emergency Response Action Plan on Gender-based
Violence and Femicide represents the latest example of government efforts to
invest in expanding GBV service access.
 Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) also play a significant role in the
GBV response, in terms of advocacy, prevention, and response.
 Accordingly, GBV services in South Africa are diverse in terms of both the
entities providing them and available services. For the purpose of this
analysis, we focus specifically on two types of services, Thuthuzela Care
Centers (tccs) and domestic violence shelters given their importance in the
immediate response to GBV survivors.
 TCCs are one-stop sexual assault centers that aim both to aid in conviction of
sexual offenses but also to expand physical, psychological and social care for
survivors of rape, sexual assault and domestic violence.[6] While the primary
route through which individuals access TCCs is via police referrals and
transport, TCCs also receive referrals from hospitals and other health care
providers as well as individuals coming by themselves directly to the centers.
 The grey literature suggests that individuals seeking care at tccs have faced
documented delays in care and other issues including inadequate privacy.
Critiques of the tccs have also found a lack of resources for sufficient follow-
up and comprehensive service delivery, noting that while acute medical
needs may be met, emotional support services are often not provided due to
insufficient funds, space, and social workers.
 Violence shelters are another vital aspect of the GBV response, including the
National Shelter Movement of South Africa (NSMSA), which serves as a
collective voice for the majority of South Africa GBV shelter. Similar to TCCs,
the grey literature suggests there are insufficient violence shelters in South
Africa, many of which have overburdened staff serving in multiple roles and
rely heavily on volunteers. Many shelters have had to cut program provision
as expenditures exceed Department of Social Development funding.
 In addition to limited capacity, needs also may not be met for some survivors
of GBV because of various criteria required for being housed within a shelter;
review of shelter criteria includes examples such as some shelters cannot
take women with children, cannot take women with male children over a
certain age, cannot take individuals with mental health challenges, and
cannot take men.
 Attention has also been called to the specific challenges individuals with
disabilities face in accessing GBV services, including lack of accommodations
for physical disabilities and communication challenges.
 Additionally, shelters may not be able to provide appropriate resources to
survivors of same-sex intimate partner violence. in short challenges to finding
GBV services existed for many in South Africa, even prior to COVID-19 crisis.
https://www.gov.za/SONA2023-highlights

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SUMMARY ARTICLE 1

A Rapid Assessment of Violence Crisis Services during COVID-19 Lockdowns

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