Health - June 2023

HEALTH

Not all heroes wear capes

JUNE 2023

MATEUS CAMPOS FELIPE Unsplash

“Try to be a rainbow in someone’s cloud.” - Maya Angelou

Nurses, we salute you...

In recognition of their hard work and dedication, we celebrate the immense contribution of nurses and show support for their tireless and essential work.

IT'S important to take a moment to celebrate the countless men and women who have dedicated their lives to nursing, often in the most challenging circumstances.

The nurses like Sister Mabuyi Mnguni are shining examples of the selflessness, dedication, and skill that are the hallmark of this noble profession.

Mnguni’s journey as a nurse began over 40 years ago when she trained at McCords and St Mary’s Hospital. From an early age, she was attracted to community health, and this has inspired her

Vuyile Madwantsi

throughout her long career. Starting as a young nurse in the Ugu District of KwaZuluNatal, Mnguni’s hard work and commitment soon earned her a reputation as one of the most experienced nurses in the field of HIV/Aids care in South Africa.

Mnguni’s work in this area has always been informed by a deep sense of compassion and empathy for those affected. She believes that every human being has the

right to quality healthcare and that nurses have a vital role to play in ensuring that all people, regardless of their background, receive the care they deserve.

“I chose to be a nurse. I chose this profession. I could’ve done anything, but I wanted to help people”, said Sr Mnguni in conversation.

Sandra Sampson, director at Allmed Healthcare Professionals, echoes Mnguni’s sentiments, emphasising the importance of nurses in the South African healthcare system.

SELFLESSNESS, dedication, and skill are the hallmarks of the nursing profession.

| LAURA JAMES Pexels

Sampson highlights the fact that nurses are often the first line of defence for patients and that their work is essential in ensuring people receive the care and support they need to live healthy and fulfilling lives. She adds: “One of the key issues facing the healthcare industry is the shortage of nurses in South Africa. Nurses are the foundation of healthcare, and they ensure that patients are well looked after, more than often saving lives. However, with a shortage of nurses, it’s critical that the nursing workforce is leveraged in the most efficient way possible.

“Further, we need to realise that nurses are essential workers and not just in a state of emergency, like Covid-19, as we saw during the pandemic.

‘“We need to actually recognise their outstanding role in the healthcare industry because they are definitely the backbone of healthcare facilities.

“We need to celebrate this profession every day and not just one specific day, because they deal with patients at their most vulnerable while and usher these patients with care and genuine compassion to recovery,” said Sampson.

While discussing her leadership style in an interview, she emphasised the importance of continual appreciation for her staff.

In response to commonly held negative views of nurses as rude, she urged the public to consider the challenging circumstances that healthcare professionals face in South Africa.

Noting the overwhelming demand for quality care and the shortage of resources to meet that demand, she advised patients to respect that they may not receive the same level of service in public facilities as in private facilities due to differences in patient volume.

She also noted the significant shortage of nurses in South Africa, which impacts patient-to-nurse ratios and places additional strain on healthcare workers.

“Currently, the patient-nurse ratio stands at one nurse for 218 patients”, said Sampson, which is “gravely alarming”.

Despite the many challenges facing nurses in South Africa, including long hours, low pay, and heavy workloads, Mnguni and her colleagues remain committed to their work.

For them, nursing is not just a job – it's a calling.

CELEBRATIONS

NDAMANE African News Agency (ANA)

of International Nurses Day in Groote Schuur Hospital. | AYANDA

SR MABUYI Mnguni. Celebrating 40 years on –having made her mark as one of South Africa’s most experienced nurses in the field of HIV/Aids care – she has few regrets. | SUPPLIED SANDRA Sampson, director at Allmed Healthcare Professionals. | SUPPLIED

UKZN doctoral scholar swoops in on the use of vultures in TRADITIONAL MEDICINE

ACCORDING to African Journals

Online, a holistic field of study, traditional African medicine incorporates elements of African mysticism as well as local herbal remedies.

About 80% of Africans rely on indigenous therapies for their most basic health-related requirements. Traditional medicine, especially

in South Africa, makes extensive use of vultures, and there is evidence that this use is at least partially to blame for the country’s rapidly declining vulture numbers, reports the Selati Wilderness Foundation.

There was little knowledge of the scope of the trafficking in animal parts, notably vultures, for traditional medicine until recently.

Ecological sciences research by Clemson University in the US indicates it has been challenging to gather accurate statistics on the volume and turnover of traded species, which is necessary to evaluate potential effects on species populations, because vulture use is illegal and hidden.

Dr Nomthandazo Manqele, an ecological sciences PhD candidate who is from a family of four at Adams Mission in Durban, claims that having a connection to animals was not a part of life in her quasi-rural environment.

UKZN’s research shows many people belonging to the ‘Zulu tribal denomination’ claim vultures have a ‘sixth sense’ or clairvoyant ability as they can detect carcasses over long distances.

| NIKOLA SOLIC REUTERS

She did, however, cultivate an appreciation of the environment, and a school excursion to the Umbogavango Nature Reserve on the South Coast solidified her decision to work in the natural sciences.

She had every intention to continue her education after finishing high school – and she has realised that dream. Former KwaMakhutha Comprehensive High School students who were now enrolled at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) visited and helped prospective students with their admissions applications.

Manqele was approved for a Bachelor of Social Sciences in environmental management after receiving assistance with registration and application costs from the National Student Financial Aid Scheme, and housing assistance from her

Lebohang Mosia

mother and her cousin, who was studying social work.

Following her completion of a Bachelor of Science with Honours in geography and environmental management, Manqele worked as an intern for Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, where she gained more conservation-related skills and solidified her desire to work in the field.

She received funding from the SA National Biodiversity Institute (Sanbi) to complete her Master’s degree at UKZN.

Specifically focused on the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands, she evaluated the causes, effects and trade in illegally harvested bush meat on serval (cats) and oribi (buck) in South Africa.

Under the supervision of Professor Trevor Hill, she conducted interviews with hunters who slaughtered the animals for their flesh, skins, and for use in traditional medicine.

Her PhD research, which was also financed by Sanbi, was inspired by this study and focused on study sites in Zululand. It examined especially how traditional healers used vultures, the most endangered group of raptors in the world today.

Sanbi’s Dr Sarah-Anne Selier and Professor Colleen Downs, who holds the South African research chair in Ecosystem Health and Biodiversity in KZN and the Eastern Cape, oversaw Manqele’s research.

Manqele discovered that while wildlife does not have inherent medicinal potential like plants, there are practices in traditional South African medicine that focus on fostering the acquisition of elements and/or behavioural characteristics of species for faithbased uses, such as locating stolen possessions, returning lost romantic partners, developing cognitive ability or enlightenment, or luck.

UKZN’s research shows that many people belonging to the Zulu tribal denomination claim that vultures have a “sixth sense”

DR NOMTHANDAZO Manqele graduates with flying colours, with a PhD in ecological science. | SUPPLIED

or clairvoyant ability because they can detect carcasses over extremely long distances. Vultures are coveted in traditional medicine because of these believed qualities and their growing scarcity.

Manqele’s study was tough but illuminating because she came across ancient methodologies for healing she had never heard of, saw critically endangered species being butchered, and in some instances spoke with people who were engaged in the illicit trade.

Despite the risks associated with some of her experiences, Manqele finished the essential study and was able to provide input to tribal officials as well as contribute to the development of a vulture management plan with the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment.

She is more committed than ever to conservation that fulfils the fundamental requirements of humans as well as wildlife.

Through the course of her investigation, Manqele became cognisant of additional factors affecting livelihoods, such as stock theft, which motivated her

to pursue an investigation that leads to responses and remedies to challenges that people in rural regions confront.

Manqele served as an ad hoc instructor in human geography at UKZN before accepting a postdoctoral research scholarship at Vaal University of Technology this year to investigate the effects and evidence of climate change at World Heritage Sites, as well as the consequences for tourism.

Manqele has grown as a result of her experiences at UKZN, including undertaking some of the research she conducted during Covid-19 lockdowns, which inspired her and Dr Madonna Vezi to launch The Girls Meet, a virtual “ladies’ network” that allows women to discuss specific topics and encourage one another to maintain a healthy psychological state of mind.

In her thesis, Manqele expressed gratitude to her daughter and mother for their sacrifices and patience, as well as to both of her supervisors, especially Downs, who extended “maternal care and encouragement”.

From life-threatening illness to magical music

At the age of 16, Reach For A Dream realised Bronté Borcherds’s desire by taking her to Sony Studios where she produced a song with award-winning musician and broadcaster Loyiso Bala.

BRONTÉ Borcherds is 9 years old and her playground is the entire world.

Laughter fills the air as she hopscotches with her buddies and sings a cappella in the living room to her family.

That year, three words ruined her life, her future, and the lives of her entire family: auto-immune hepatitis. A difficult task was ahead of her little tenacious feet.

Life had changed. Borcherds complained of fatigue, nausea, bloating, and stomach pain. Her immune system was assaulting and inflaming her liver. If not treated, she might suffer from liver failure.

Her treatment advanced swiftly, and her family from Johannesburg relocated to Cape Town, where she underwent a liver transplant and specialised care at the Red Cross Children’s Hospital.

Borcherds, now 30, expressed her appreciation for her family, particularly her courageous younger brother.

She commended the collective effort of healthcare professionals, hospital personnel, and fellow child warriors suffering lifethreatening conditions for their support during her darkest hours.

Being in hospital for weeks or even months at a time, as well as the continuous pricks of needles and dialysis, took their toll.

But Borcherds reminisced

BRONTÉ Borcherds. | SUPPLIED Lebohang Mosia

fondly about how music became a lifeline: “Music was always there. Even when my hands were too sore from swopping drips to use my phone, I had my favourite songs to keep me company,” she explained.

Something life-changing happened when she was 16 years old. She met a Reach For A Dream representative, and the question that changed everything was, “What is the dream in your heart?”

For the past 35 years, the Reach For A Dream team has asked this question to children with lifethreatening illnesses. With the organisation fulfilling around six wishes throughout the country every day, its crew has seen firsthand the immense stress that children with life-threatening illnesses face.

These wonderful moments provide these children and their families with crucial relief from the daily difficulties connected with illness.

But, more than anything else, what truly distinguishes this experience is how fulfilled aspirations instil much-needed confidence and hope in these children, allowing them to think

the tomorrow is worth fighting for, according to Julia Sotirianakos, CEO of Reach For A Dream.

Borcherds felt supported by the foundation. “Meeting the team at Reach For A Dream and other dreamers made me realise I wasn’t alone in the world. There’s always a helping hand should you ask for it and people who know your struggle,” she said.

Borcherds’s ambition was to go to a recording studio and create her own music. However, the foundation went above and beyond to make her dream a reality. She had the red carpet set out for her special day, and a limousine took her and her best friend to Sony Studios.

Reach For A Dream not only makes a child’s desire come true, but also attempts to instill hope in the child’s life.

In the circumstance of Borcherds, her dream success rekindled a fresh passion and vitality that would ultimately transform the rest of her life.

“When I got my dream, I met someone who has made it in the music industry.

“It’s amazing because I saw that

it’s a real thing – not just something that is far away and happens to other people.

“To have it right here was a toptier moment for me because I saw that I could do it too,” explained Borcherds in an official statement.

“When I got to the studio, I saw Loyiso Bala and my mind was blown,” she said excitedly .

“I felt like I was in a movie. I literally sang with this famous singer and thought ‘this is crazy’.”

Borcherds is still a dedicated advocate of the charitable work and is the motivation and voice behind Step Up, the theme song for the Slipper Shuffle, a nationwide choreography challenge intended to encourage South Africans on the dance floor and into their comfy slippers in support of Reach For A Dream’s largest annual fund-raiser, Slipper Day.

“Step Up is about believing that your goals and dreams are attainable; that even on your worst days, there is light at the end of the tunnel,” Borcherds said.

“Ultimately, it’s a song about hope, and it encourages everyone to use the power of their dreams to overcome obstacles.”

THE Red Cross Children’s Hospital. | AFRICAN NEWS AGENCY (ANA)

500 DAYS ALONE IN A CAVE

BY RUTH OGDEN

A YEAR and half alone in a cave might sound like a nightmare to a lot of people, but Spanish athlete Beatriz Flamini emerged with a cheerful grin and said she thought she had more time to finish her book.

She had almost no contact with the outside world during her impressive feat of human endurance. For 500 days, she documented her experiences to help scientists understand the effects of extreme isolation.

One of the first things that became apparent on April 12, when she emerged from the cave, was how fluid time is, shaped more by your personality traits and the people around you than a ticking clock.

When talking to reporters about her experiences, Flamini explained she rapidly lost her sense of time. The loss of time was so profound that when her support team came to retrieve her, she was surprised that her time was up, instead believing she had only been there for 160 to 170 days.

Why did she lose her sense of time?

Our actions, emotions and changes in our environment can have powerful effects on the way in which our minds process time.

For most people, the rising and setting of the sun mark the passing of days, and work and social routines mark the passing of hours. In the darkness of an underground cave, without the company of others, many signals of passing of time would have disappeared. Flamini might have become more

reliant on psychological processes to monitor time.

One way in which we keep track of the passage of time is memory. If we don’t know how long we have been doing something, we use the number of memories formed during the event as an index to the amount of time that has past. The more memories we form in an event or era, the longer we perceive it to have lasted.

Busy days and weeks filled with lots of novel and exciting events are typically remembered as longer than more monotonous ones where nothing noteworthy happens.

For Flamini, the absence of social interaction, combined with a lack of information about family and current affairs (the war in Ukraine, the reopening of society after Covid lockdowns), might have significantly reduced the number of memories she formed during her isolation. Flamini herself noted: “I’m still stuck on November 21, 2021. I don’t know anything about the world.”

The loss of time might also reflect the reduced importance of time in cave life. In the outside world, the busyness of modern

life, and social pressure to avoid wasting time, mean many of us live in a perpetual state of time stress. For us, the clock is a gauge of how productive and successful we are as adults.

A common thread

Flamini is not the first to experience a change in her experience of time after a change in environment. Similar experiences were reported by French scientist Michel Siffre during his two- to six-month-long cave expeditions in the 1960s and ’70s.

A loss of sense of time was consistently reported by adults and children who spent prolonged periods isolated in nuclear bunkers (for research purposes) at the height of the Cold War.

It is also frequently reported by people serving prison sentences and was widely experienced by the general public during Covid-19 lockdowns.

Caves, nuclear bunkers, prisons and global pandemics share two features that seem to create an altered sense of time. They isolate us from the wider world and involve confined spaces.

Flamini, however, lived with an empty schedule stretching out into her future. No work meetings to prepare for, no appointments to hurry to and no social diary to manage.

She led a self-paced existence, where she could eat, sleep and read as and when she liked. She occupied herself painting, exercising and documenting her experiences. This may have made the passage of time irrelevant.

| THE CONVERSATION

SPANISH sportswoman Beatriz Flamini leaves a cave in Los Gauchos after spending 500 days inside. | JORGE GUERRERO AFP Spanish athlete Beatriz Flamini documented her experiences to help scientists understand the effects of extreme isolation

New mom Steffi Brink is back to fitness best

ONE month after giving birth to her first baby, media personality

Steffi Brink is back on the grind doing her workout routines and getting back into shape.

Steffi and Clint Brink welcomed their baby girl Arielle Harmony Brink on April 6. The couple, who have been married for seven years, shared the journey of their pregnancy on social media and had followers invested in the entire process with their regular updates.

Brink recently shared a video clip of her workouts and fans were amazed to see the new mom getting back into full force training.

She captioned the video: “Quick Wednesday home Workout 1 ROUND + a feed: 8 sets of 100skips, stretching, glute medius activations 40 reps, low squat pulses 40 reps, squat jumps 20 reps, BB overhead reverse lunges (alternating 10/10), BB front squats 10 reps, BB deadlift 10 reps, kneeling landmine presses 10, skaters 30, AB circuit 10 reps per exercise.

#PostPartum #1MonthPostPartum

#HomeWorkout #FitMommy

#WOTD #StrengthTraining #Fitness

#Under45mins #BouncingBack.”

Indeed we see her bouncing back. Her followers were impressed. nhunter_sa wrote: “Just saw this. I’m also 1-month postpartum. I’ll start exercising with you.��”

imy_eye wrote: “I love that you are working so hard. Ask your doctor about it, but go easy on your joints and ligaments now for a while.”

faithandfitness45 wrote: “Go Mamma.”

lynniejeftha wrote: “Watch how this mamma bounce back.”

ronelle_will wrote: “My husband and I love you soooo much super woman and super mom.”

NEW mom: Steffi Brink with baby Arielle. | INSTAGRAM PROUD parents Clint and Steffi Brink. | INSTAGRAM Venecia Valentine

From fear to acceptance – teen chronicles his HIV JOURNEY ON TIK TOK

RACHEL HATZIPANAGOS

IN THE first video, Zachary Willmore is sitting in his childhood bedroom wearing a pink jersey, his blond hair swooshed to the side, and begins applying make-up.

“Yesterday, I found out that I got diagnosed with HIV,” Willmore says in the 48-second TikTok video. “I’m not posting this until I feel completely ready because honestly I’m worried about people looking at me as untouchable. But people keep giving me hugs.”

Willmore, a 19-year-old freshman at San Diego State

University, says he spent his winter break suffering from flu-like symptoms including fever, chills and nausea.

He took tests for the coronavirus, flu and STDs “just to be sure”.

The test results were all negative, except for one.

“They don’t put HIV on the results list,” Willmore said. “So they called me in.“

When his doctor explained his diagnosis on February 16, “it felt like the world was ending,” Willmore said in an interview. “I just wanted to drain all the blood out of my body.”

HIV remains a stigmatised and misunderstood disease. But over the past month, Willmore has taken his 1.8 million followers on a journey through his fears, confusion and ultimate acceptance of his illness in a series of more than 20 videos.

In some, he is as cheerful as ever, applying make-up and chronicling a shopping trip to Zara with his mother. In others, he’s diving into the details about medication and urging followers to wear condoms.

One of his most popular posts – an eight-second long video of Willmore staring off into the

ZACHARY Willmore, 19, was diagnosed with HIV in February. He’s sharing his story on TikTok to more than 1.8 million followers.

distance with the words “What it felt like after getting diagnosed with HIV and having to go back to class like nothing happened” – has been viewed over 15 million times.

“When I do my videos in my lighthearted way it’s because I’m feeling happy,” Willmore told The Post.

“I think it’s important to shed light on how it’s not just sad parts. ... I’m still living my life. This disease doesn’t define who you are.”

Willmore says most of his encouragement comes from his followers, including some who shared that they had been living with the disease for decades.

“That was just really powerful for me because it gave me a broader perspective on the world,” Willmore said.

There are a few critics too who say he is taking the disease too lightly. Podcast host Elijah Schaffer tweeted to his 600 000 followers about Willmore: “Bro thinks HIV is cute and makes him unique. Gen Z is so confused.”

That type of criticism is based on “not being knowledgeable on the subject and not understanding why it’s important,” Willmore says.

After receiving his diagnosis, Willmore immediately called his parents and decided to fly home.

“I’ve always told my mom everything specifically, and I knew that she would just want the best for me and want me to be safe,” Willmore said. Leila Willmore was sitting hundreds of kilometres away in her Missouri home when she received the call.

“It was initially devastating. My heart and my stomach sank. But I also had a feeling of, is that really true? Are we sure that’s the case?” she said.

Leila told her son: “I feel like there’s nothing he can’t handle.”

Standing nearby, Willmore’s father, Theodore, overheard the conversation.

“Her voice was tight,” Theodore recalled. When she hang up, “she

said, ‘I have life-changing news’.” There are 1.2 million people living with HIV in the US and there were more than 35 000 new infections in 2020, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data.

Young gay and bisexual men accounted for 84% of all new HIV diagnoses in people aged 13 to 24 in 2020, the CDC reports.

Willmore knew little about the disease when he was diagnosed. “I was told people with HIV can live up to 70 but I don’t even want to live past 20,” he said in one video.

His father, an emergency room physician, began by helping put the treatment options into perspective.

“Forty years ago it was a death sentence and now it’s a chronic treatable condition, which is fantastic,” Theodore said. “But it still requires a young man to be very attentive and take medicine every single day.”

HIV-related mortality rates peaked in 1995 and have declined significantly.

Yet the stigma surrounding HIV remains for many, said Lawrence Yang, a professor of social and behavioural science at New York University, who has studied stigma

reduction for health conditions for about 25 years.

“In order for stigma change to occur on a societal level, we need more people sharing their stories,” Yang said.

In a March 1 video viewed 58 500 times, Willmore explained to his viewers that his treatment is “very simple”. He takes one pill a day at 11am. In a few months, he may be able to take a shot instead of a pill.

“Today was the longest day ever, my appointment started at 11 and lasted until 4, but I am medicated!” he said. “Also, there was a lot of good news at this meeting. So a high viral load would be in the millions and I have a viral load of 11 400."

A few days later, he told subscribers that he was feeling better. His cough had dissipated and swollen lymph nodes were going down.

“I feel like I have just more energy in general,” Willmore said in the March 5 video.

Turning the attention to his HIV status had been difficult, he said, but was an important part of educating the public about the disease.

This is the same young man who told his classmates he was gay through a PowerPoint presentation during his social studies class in the 7th grade, his mother remembers.

She told him at the time, “People are gonna want to know why you’re telling them this.

“And he said: ‘Because I think it’s stupid to lie about who I am, and I don’t want my friends to have to lie for me.’

“He has always been in control of his narrative,” Leila said.

In early April, Willmore reached a new milestone. The virus was no longer detectable in his blood.

“I’m so excited ... this is a huge accomplishment for me even though I didn’t really do anything,” Willmore said in a video. “I just feel good today, it’s a great day.” | WASHINGTON POST

WILLMORE knew little about the disease when he was diagnosed. | ZACHARYWILLMORE Instagram

THE FACE OF FATHERHOOD

New study refutes long-held notion of SA’s

dads and delves into

the concept of fatherhood means to the contemporary South African

THE rights, obligations, liabilities, and statuses related to fatherhood are all social institutions, according to a study by the Sociology Group.

The distinction between the words “father”, “fathering” and “fatherhood”’ is helpful. The first is the link established (social or biological) between a certain child and a specific man.

The second is behaviour: the real ways parenting is “done”. The third speaks to broader beliefs and social connotations connected to

fatherhood.

Numerous academic disciplines do parenting research, and fatherhood commentary in fiction and non-fiction is now prevalent.

Researchers in the social sciences who are interested in development use quantitative methods to examine the impact of father-child relationships and paternal influence on the wellbeing of dads and children.

A Master’s degree study discovered that most fathers had a

desire and willingness to be active in their children’s lives, contrary to the perception that is common in South Africa that men are often unwilling to take responsibility for their progeny.

Simphiwe Ngcongo’s research for his Master’s degree in population studies led to this conclusion. “When it comes to having an involved father, experiences differ, and I was interested in gaining more insight into this,” said Ngcongo in an

FATHERHOOD is a gender-specific term for parenthood and refers to the condition of being a father. | MONSTERA Pexels

‘deadbeat’

what

Lebohang Mosia

official statement.

His study focused on the connection between employment and father participation, specifically how employment status influences both employed and unemployed men’s involvement with their children.

Fathers are frequently viewed as irresponsible, uncaring guys who flee after having their children.

Ngcongo claims that there is also a pervasive belief that a good father is one who meets the money requirements of the child, which frequently results in the neglect of other non-financial fathering obligations.

The study’s findings indicate that the majority of fathers are eager and willing to participate in their children’s lives, emphasising the value of being there for them emotionally, psychologically and socially.

It was discovered that being a good provider still affects how fathers and society see fatherhood.

Fathers who are unemployed saw a lack of resources as a hindrance to better fatherhood and thought that finding employment would increase their engagement.

However, working fathers claimed that their obligations at work prohibited them from spending enough time on child care because many of them had jobs that required them to travel.

Fathers who were employed and unemployed both benefited greatly from the assistance of their families in assuming care-giving obligations.

According to Ngcongo’s research, employed fathers felt a feeling of fulfilment, were seen favourably by society, and fulfilled the role of a provider, but jobless fathers tended to develop a negative self-image.

The availability of employment, along with other social and environmental factors, affects fathers’ level of parental engagement.

Ngcongo argued that in order to

IT WAS discovered that being a good provider still affects how fathers and society see fatherhood. | KETUT SUBIYANTO Unsplash

eliminate harmful social stereotypes about fatherhood, there is a need for psycho-educational studies and programmes that emphasise the significance of male involvement in non-financial duties for their children and gender equality.

He considers it a tremendous accomplishment for himself and hopes it will serve as motivation for his siblings. He will be the first member of his family to graduate with a Master’s degree.

Ngcongo acknowledged his family, friends and supervisor in

addition to dedicating his degree to his mother, Hlengiwe.

He had this advice for students: “Manage your time, set schedules and stick to them so you do not put off your work until the last minute. “Familiarise yourself with reading material that will help and contribute to your academic knowledge and ensure you build connections with your fellow students because it’s easier to fail alone, but it’s better if you have people to support you when you need help.”

The sound of healing

Music therapy has gained recognition as an effective tool to promote mental health.

Vuyile Madwantsi

MUSIC is always there for us. Whether it’s a catchy tune that gets stuck in our heads or a bitter-sweet ballad that moves us to tears.

But did you know that music can do more than just entertain us? Music therapy is a powerful intervention, and it can profoundly influence our mental health.

Music can help us manage stress. Whether you’re dealing with a difficult work situation or a personal problem, music can be a great stress reliever. Listening to your favourite songs can help you relax and take your mind off of things. It’s like having a personal soundtrack that helps you get through the day.

Music therapy has gained recognition as an effective tool to promote mental health.

Over the last few years, we’ve learned that singing in the shower isn’t simply for people who want to sing without being heard, but research has proven it’s beneficial for mental health and wellbeing.

Reduced anxiety and depression:

Music therapy has been found to significantly reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety. A 2017 review of 27 studies involving over 1 500 patients found music therapy helped lower symptoms of depression in those with mood disorders while reducing symptoms of anxiety in those with anxiety disorders.

A similar study involving cancer patients indicated music therapy helped reduce anxiety levels as well as improve quality of life.

Improved cognitive function:

Listening to music can strengthen neural connections in the brain, leading to improved cognitive function. A study in Norway found music therapy helped to improve memory and attention in patients with dementia, while a study in the US found music can help to improve cognitive performance

in healthy adults. Management of chronic pain:

In addition to its positive effects on emotional wellbeing and cognitive function, music therapy has been found to be an effective tool in managing chronic pain.

A 2014 study by UK scientists revealed that music therapy helped to reduce the use of pain-killing medication in patients with chronic pain. The research also showed that music therapy improved patients' physical, emotional, and social functioning.

Autism spectrum disorder:

Music therapy can be an effective therapy for individuals with autism spectrum disorders. Alternative mental health interventions such as music therapy can offer a non-invasive and effective way to improve mental health.

Music therapy is a form of treatment that uses music to

address the physical, emotional, cognitive, and social needs of individuals. It is a non-invasive, safe and effective intervention that has been shown to have numerous benefits for mental health.

Lastly, music can bring people together and promote social interaction. Whether it’s through attending live music events, participating in music classes, or simply jamming out with friends, music has the power to connect us with others.

This social connection can help combat the feelings of loneliness and isolation that are all too common in our fast-paced, technology-driven world.

So, why not turn up the volume on your favourite tunes and let the music work its magic?

Whether you’re a fan of classical music, rock, amapiano or hip hop, turn up the volume and let the healing power of music work its magic on your mind.

MUSIC therapy has gained recognition as an effective tool to promote mental health. | MAGIC BOWLS Unsplash

Hero boy stops runaway bus

Thirteen-year-old Dillon Reeves got up and grabbed the steering wheel of school bus carrying dozens of children when he saw the driver had fainted

PRAVEENA SOMASUNDARAM

A 13-YEAR-OLD American boy became a hero by managing to safely stop a school bus carrying dozens of children when the driver lost consciousness.

The drama unfolded in the northern state of Michigan, when a teenager named Dillon Reeves got up and grabbed the steering wheel when he saw the driver had fainted, and brought the vehicle to a halt in the middle of the road using the hand brake, school

district superintendent Robert Livernois said.

The bus was carrying 70 pupils from Lois E Carter Middle School in the town of Warren when the driver lost consciousness, as seen in a video released by the authorities.

Children are heard screaming as Reeves takes control of the bus and yells out for someone to call the 911 emergency service number.

“Warren is very proud of our 7th Grade hero Dillon Reeves,” Warren city councillor Jonathan

Lafferty wrote on Facebook.

“This young man jumped into action when his school bus driver experienced a medical emergency, bringing the bus to a stop and avoiding what could have been a very tragic accident,” he wrote.

Following the near-fatal accident, Dillon sat down with FOX2’s Charlie Langton to share what happened.

He was then honoured and received a mayoral proclamation from mayor Jim Fouts. | WASHINGTON

POST

THE bus was carrying nearly 70 pupils from Lois E Carter Middle School in the town of Warren, Michigan, in the US, when the driver lost consciousness. | PXFUEL

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Health - June 2023

HEALTH

Not all heroes wear capes

CONTENTS

Marchelle

Editors’ notes Vuyile

Nurses, we salute you...

Vuyile Madwantsi

UKZN doctoral scholar swoops in on the use of vultures in TRADITIONAL MEDICINE

ACCORDING to African Journals

From life-threatening illness to magical music

At the age of 16, Reach For A Dream realised Bronté Borcherds’s desire by taking her to Sony Studios where she produced a song with award-winning musician and broadcaster Loyiso Bala.

500 DAYS ALONE IN A CAVE

A common thread

New mom Steffi Brink is back to fitness best

From fear to acceptance – teen chronicles his HIV JOURNEY ON TIK TOK

RACHEL HATZIPANAGOS

THE FACE OF FATHERHOOD

New study refutes long-held notion of SA’s

dads and delves into

the concept of fatherhood means to the contemporary South African

The sound of healing

Hero boy stops runaway bus

Thirteen-year-old Dillon Reeves got up and grabbed the steering wheel of school bus carrying dozens of children when he saw the driver had fainted

Articles inside

Editors’ Notes

Hero boy stops runaway bus

The sound of healing

THE FACE OF FATHERHOOD

From fear to acceptance – teen chronicles his HIV JOURNEY ON TIK TOK

New mom Steffi Brink is back to fitness best

500 DAYS ALONE IN A CAVE

From life-threatening illness to magical music

UKZN doctoral scholar swoops in on the use of vultures in TRADITIONAL MEDICINE

Nurses, we salute you...