The present study was conducted to determine the prevalence and distribution of gastrointestinal helminths, to detect the presence of anthelmintic resistance in livestock from small-scale farms and to determine the level of helminthosis awareness among small-scale farmers in Gauteng Province, South Africa. Blood and faecal samples were collected from cattle (n = 314), sheep (n = 256) and goats (n = 311). Faecal egg counts and cultures were done, helminth genera identified and packed cell volume was assessed to detect anaemia. A faecal egg count reduction test was used to determine anthelmintic resistance against albendazole (7.5 mg/kg), levamisole (5 mg/kg) and ivermectin (0.2 mg/kg) on five small ruminant farms. A high prevalence of both nematodes and trematodes was observed; however, only 1 % of cattle had high nematode egg counts compared to goats (30 %) and sheep (32 %). Only 5 % of the animals were anaemic. Haemonchus and Calicophoron were the most dominant helminth genera in the studied ruminants. Anthelmintic resistance was detected against the three tested drugs on all the screened farms, except against albendazole and levamisole in sheep from Hammanskraal and Nigel, respectively. About 88 % of interviewed farmers were aware of veterinary helminthosis, 67 % treated against helminths and 83 % provided their livestock with nutritional supplements. This study showed that a high prevalence of helminthosis and anthelmintic resistance does occur in the study area, thus relevant strategic interventions are recommended.

Objectives To build an understanding of factors that influence exclusive breastfeeding practices (EBF) of lactating mothers which will contribute to the development a behavior change intervention targeting mothers in households with children 0–6 months in Mwenezi and Chiredzi districts of Zimbabwe. Methods A cross sectional study was conducted in May 2018 according to the protocol laid out in United States Agency for International Development (USAID)’s “A Practical Guide to Conducting a Barrier Analysis.” It was carried out in four administrative wards in Mwenezi district and six in Chiredzi district. The behavior under study was “Mothers of children ages 0 – 6 months feed them only breast milk.” Structured in-depth interviews were administered to a total of 90 mothers with children aged 0–6 months, targeting 45 doers and 45 non-doers for the behavior, as part of formative research for the development of a social behavior change intervention. Perceived self-efficacy, social-cultural norms, perceived positive-negative consequences, cues for action and community rules and laws were identified. Qualitative analysis included coding, sorting and identifying themes. Results Barriers to EBF included high labor burden, perceived milk insufficiency and influence from mother-in-law. The main enablers were spousal support with chores and information from nurses. Mothers said that other factors that made EBF easier were a desire to have a healthy baby, feeling that breastmilk was enough to satisfy the baby and family support, while breast pain, and needing to give the baby water and other concoctions due to the heat or religious practices made it difficult. Some mothers felt that the negative consequences of breastfeeding were that it is time-consuming, increases workload and increases the risk of HIV transmission. Conclusions High labor burden, limited support with chores, in-law influence and perceived milk insufficiency impeded optimal EBF. Approval from in-laws and spouses was important in EBF. These findings were used to develop a social behavior change program that is currently being implemented in Zimbabwe, targeting pregnant and lactating women and key influencers such as mothers-in-law and spouses. Funding Sources The funding for the barrier analysis study was provided by the European Union through United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).

A barrier analysis study was carried out in Mwenezi and Chiredzi Districts of Zimbabwe, to guide the development of a community-based behaviour change program. The aim of the barrier analysis was to identify factors that influenced a woman’s infant feeding and care practices. This paper reports the findings for one behaviour, exclusive breastfeeding. The study was based on the methodology from “A Practical Guide to Conducting a Barrier Analysis” (Kittle 2013). Structured in-depth interviews were administered to 91 women who were mothers of infants under the age of six months, 46 of whom who were exclusively breastfeeding and 45 who were not. Issues pertaining to self-efficacy, social support and perceived risks and benefits, as well as cultural and community norms and rules were identified. The qualitative analysis included sorting and identifying themes. Common barriers for exclusive breastfeeding were influence from the mother-in-law, high maternal workload, and perceived breast milk insufficiency. The main enablers were breastfeeding knowledge, the presence of a spouse/partner who assisted with chores and nurses who provided breastfeeding information. The insights gained from this study were used by Nutrition Action Zimbabwe to develop a behaviour change programme that was implemented from 2018-2020.

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Poor birth outcomes such as low birth weight, low birth length and short gestational age, are public health concern issues in South Africa (SA). This study utilized structural equation modeling (SEM) to explore how nutritional and social factors contribute to favorable fetal growth conditions (FFGC) in pregnant women living with and without human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), in the Free State Province of SA. Sociodemographic characteristics, stress, health and nutrition-related information, and birth outcomes data were collected and analyzed from a subsample of 305 women enrolled in a cohort study from 2018–2020. Descriptive statistics were analyzed in R version 4.1.2 and SEM was conducted in Lavaan version 0.6–5. Higher gestational body mass index (GBMI) and income levels were associated with higher FFGC (p < 0.05). Household incomes were positively associated with dietary micronutrient quality (p = 0.002), GBMI (p = 0.012) and food security (p = 0.001). Low incomes (p = 0.004) and food insecurity (p < 0.001) were associated with higher stress, while social support was positively associated with food security status (p = 0.008). These findings highlight the complex interconnections between the social and nutritional factors that are associated with fetal growth conditions. Multisectoral community-based programs may be a useful strategy to address these challenges.