Filling the language gap using communication resources for HIV/AIDS and Tuberculosis healthcare in South Africa (Rhodes University)
February 2023 - South Africa has 11 official languages, and despite healthcare users' right to access healthcare in an official local language, many healthcare professionals cannot speak the local language. South Africa also has the largest number of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)-positive people in the world, the third-highest rate of Tuberculosis (TB) infections, and the second-highest rate of Multi-Drug Resistant TB (MDR-TB) globally, with up to 60% of HIV-positive healthcare users (HCUs) infected with TB as a co-infection.
To address language barriers in healthcare, existing communication resources were reviewed, selected, and further developed before implementation as part of a pilot feasibility trial across six healthcare sites in the Eastern Cape. This trial employed a blended approach due to COVID-19-related limitations.
The feasibility and acceptability of both the study protocol and the proposed communication resources were evaluated. The findings inform recommendations to improve the feasibility of conducting a randomised controlled trial, to further develop the resources for enhanced communication in HIV/AIDS and TB consultations, and to apply similar interventions in university settings and through Continuing Medical Education.
Speaker: Nathalia Lourenço (von Witt)
Nathalia Lourenço completed her PhD within the VLIRUOS TEAMS framework, with the cooperation between KU Leuven (Belgium) and Rhodes University (South Africa), under the supervision of Dr. Bulelwa Nosilela and Prof. Patrick Luyten. Her research focuses on language barriers in South African healthcare, with a focus on HIV/AIDS and Tuberculosis.
