{"id":65731,"date":"2016-03-10T10:47:39","date_gmt":"2016-03-10T08:47:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/engaging-with-communities-can-help-tackle-poverty-linked-health-problems-the-conversation\/"},"modified":"2016-03-10T10:47:39","modified_gmt":"2016-03-10T08:47:39","slug":"engaging-with-communities-can-help-tackle-poverty-linked-health-problems-the-conversation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/engaging-with-communities-can-help-tackle-poverty-linked-health-problems-the-conversation\/","title":{"rendered":"Engaging with communities can help tackle poverty linked health problems | The Conversation"},"content":{"rendered":"
There is an urgent need to generate robust evidence that shows how the social determinants of health influence people\u2019s abilities to protect themselves against health risks.<\/span> Reuters\/Mike Hutchings<\/span><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Communities can provide health authorities with essential information on how people perceive and experience health and risks, and how people engage with health systems in their areas. They can explain why people fail to use antiretrovirals despite their availability, or why domestic violence remains unreported.<\/p>\n

More generally, asking communities about their health problems can help explain how social situations shape exposure to risk, which in turn determines health. This is information that is not available from sources such as a country\u2019s vital registration system, which records births and deaths.<\/p>\n

Health planning needs to take community views into account if it is to be more responsive to the situation of patients in a specific area, and towards uncovering the root causes of many common conditions.<\/p>\n

Looking beyond statistics<\/h2>\n

South Africa\u2019s vital registration system provides information on births, deaths and the medical cause of death. But such data doesn\u2019t provide health authorities with insight into the socioeconomic context in which these deaths occur, or other contributing factors.<\/p>\n

There is an urgent need to generate robust evidence that shows how the social determinants of health \u2013 discrimination, poor housing, unemployment and lack of education \u2013 influence people\u2019s abilities to protect themselves against health risks. By examining these issues, the health of marginalised groups can be more accurately represented and tackled.<\/p>\n

We developed a community-based study in South Africa to discover local knowledge on two causes of death: AIDS-related deaths and deaths due to violent assault. Our study was published in the Journal of Global Health.<\/p>\n

Global statistics reflect that South Africa accounts for 17% of the world\u2019s HIV burden, although it only constitutes 0.7% of the world\u2019s population. The country has the world\u2019s largest antiretroviral initiative covering more than 2.5 million people. The country\u2019s disease burden is skewed towards vulnerable populations, especially the country\u2019s black population.<\/p>\n

Social and structural drivers contribute to HIV\/AIDS being a critical public health challenge. These include mobile populations, over-crowded settlements and exploitative migrant labour practices.<\/p>\n

Working with local communities<\/h2>\n

In our study, three community groups were convened in the Mpumalanga province, where an established longitudinal health surveillance site exists. A series of meetings was held with groups to identify and define the causes, treatments and problems around HIV\/AIDS and violent assault.<\/p>\n

The groups revealed the connections between social and health systems issues, and deaths due to HIV\/AIDS and violence. These related to issues like the use of traditional medicine, alcohol and substance abuse, unstable relationships and debt.<\/p>\n

We found that in some communities in Mpumalanga, financial dependence played a significant role, guiding women\u2019s sexual relationships and determining how they dealt with HIV\/AIDS and domestic violence.<\/p>\n

Our study found that the need for financial security:<\/p>\n