Latest News Archive

Please select Category, Year, and then Month to display items
Categories
UFS News Media Release Research
Years
2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
Months
January February March April May June July August September October November December
Previous Archive
27 March 2018 Photo Earl Coetzee
Research focus on HIV and TB stigma among healthcare workers
Posters reading, “Let’s Stop Stigma” urge healthcare workers to ”Be kind to yourself. Be kind to others.” Pictured here are Dr Asta Rau, Director of CHSR&D and Dr Michelle Engelbrecht, deputy director of the centre.
Researchers working on an internationally funded project are tackling a key occupational health issue: HIV and TB stigma among Free State healthcare workers. They developed and rolled out interventions to decrease stigma and will soon measure the effects. 
In this four-year project, UFS researchers from the Centre for Health Systems Research and Development (CHSR&D) are partnering with Antwerp University and the Free State Department of Health.  

Stigma is like an invisible mark 
A project leader at the CHSR&D, Dr Asta Rau, says most research on stigma in public health focuses on HIV stigma towards patients. Little is done on stigma among healthcare workers themselves. 
Dr Rau says that stigma undermines people’s dignity and causes them suffering. It can even stop them from seeking healthcare. Stigma threatens the health of healthcare workers and the stability of the health system, which is already under strain due to personnel shortages. 

Interventions to make a difference
The research identified two types of stigma - external stigma that can be seen around us, e.g. in the way healthcare workers speak about or treat one another and internal stigma that happens when healthcare workers take this ‘outside’ stigma and turn it inward on themselves. 

Dr Rau says the interventions involve training healthcare workers about what stigma is and how to go about reducing it. “We give them the knowledge and tips on how to communicate when they encounter stigma. It is up to them to then use that to fight stigma.” A communication campaign with posters and branded social marketing materials supports the training. The campaign uses a single slogan: ”Let’s Stop Stigma” and urges healthcare workers to ”Be kind to yourself. Be kind to others."

News Archive

UV betreur afsterwe van baanbreker
2006-06-21

Die hoofbestuur van die Universiteit van die Vrystaat (UV) het met hartseer verneem van die afsterwe van dr. Barnie Human.

 Dr. Human het ‘n B Com- en honneursgraad aan die UV verwerf.  Sy  bande met die UV strek oor amper veertig jaar.   Hy was vanaf 1967-1995 lid van die UV-Raad en was vir meer as dertig jaar betrokke by fondswerwingsprojekte vir die Ontwikkelingstrustfonds van die UV.  In 1977 is hy verkies tot nasionale voorsitter van die UOVS Oudstudente Reünie, voorloper van die latere Kovsie-Alumni Bond.  Hy is in 1981 deur sy alma mater vereer met ‘n eredoktorsgraad in ekonomie. 

 Dr. Human, wat deurlopend baie aktief betrokke by die aktiwiteite van die Kovsie- Alumni Bond, het in 1985 die Bond se hoofbestuurstoekenning ontvang vir uitsonderlike diens gelewer aan die UV.  Hy is ook in 1993 aangewys as ere-trustee van die Ontwikkelingstrustfonds.

 In Oktober 2004 het die UV hom vereer met ‘n Eeufeesmedalje vir sy bydrae tot die ontwikkeling van die UV se fondsinsamelingsaksies, veral ten opsigte van die vestiging van fisiese fasiliteite op die Hoofkampus in Bloemfontein.  Sy geldelike bydrae het die UV in staat gestel om die Callie Human-sentrum te bou.  Die sentrum is ter nagedagtenis van sy seun, Callie wat in 1967 in ‘n motorfietsongeluk oorlede is, opgerig.

 “Dr. Human was ‘n ware steunpilaar vir die UV.  Ons is dankbaar dat ons hom in 2004 daarvoor kon vereer met ‘n Eeufeesmedalje voor sy afsterwe,” sê prof. Frederick Fourie, Rektor en Visekanselier van die UV.

 “Ons simpatiseer ook met mev. Swannie Human en die egpaar se dogter, mev. Christina Strydom.  Dr. Human laat nie net ‘n leemte in die Bloemfonteinse sakewêreld nie, maar ook in die harte van die mense aan die UV wat hom geken het en saam met hom gewerk het,” sê prof. Fourie.

 Mediaverklaring
Uitgereik deur: Lacea Loader
Mediaverteenwoordiger
Tel:  (051) 401-2584
Sel:  083 645 2454
E-pos:    loaderl.stg@mail.uovs.ac.za
21 Junie 2006

 

We use cookies to make interactions with our websites and services easy and meaningful. To better understand how they are used, read more about the UFS cookie policy. By continuing to use this site you are giving us your consent to do this.

Accept