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This article shares extracts from an arts-based community model of mental healthcare that works with family and social systems to develop collective resilience and address intergenerational trauma in a culturally informed manner. The practice is situated in an African philosophy of collectivism, where the group is a resource and source of support. It invites arts therapists to engage with psychological practices outside of an individualistic focus with a practical approach to considering the ecosystem which influences health and well-being. Theories such as embodiment and polyvagal theory, community and collective resilience and intergenerational trauma are explored and translated to practise with an example of implementation in a remote farming community in the Western Cape of South Africa. The authors focus on practice elements derived from Dramatherapy and Applied Drama, which highlights embodied practices as they are applied to address intergenerational trauma and develop collective resilience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An earlier study of district-level agricultural total factor productivity in the Western Cape province of South Africa Conradie et al. (2009a, b) is extended to include eleven Northern Cape districts that in combination make up the Karoo. Tornqvist Theil total factor productivity (TFP) indices are calculated using accounting data from 10 years of the farm census between 1949/50 and 2001/2. The Northern Cape districts experienced the same general productivity decline as those of the Western Cape's Central Karoo. Both parts of the broader Karoo region show a similar mean rate of decline. However, the reasons for this are different, with developments in irrigation systems a major factor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we examined the phylogeographical structure of three frog species (Anhydrophryne rattrayi , Arthroleptis wageri and Cacosternum nanum) in the Eastern and Western Cape provinces of South Africa. The first two species are forest dwelling and exhibit direct development, whereas the last species is a habitat generalist, breeding in open freshwater bodies and exhibiting rapid metamorphosis. Evolutionary relationships were inferred using combined mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequence data [16S rRNA and cytochrome b (Cytb)]. Divergence times were estimated for each species using the combined mtDNA dataset, and population genetic structuring was inferred using haplotype networks and analysis of molecular variance using the rapidly evolving Cytb locus. The two forest-dwelling species (Anhydrophryne rattrayi and Arthroleptis wageri) each revealed two statistically well-supported clades and were characterized by marked genetic differentiation and the general absence of shared maternal haplotypes, indicating no maternal gene flow between conspecific populations; a result corroborated by moderate values of pairwise genetic distance. In contrast, for the generalist species C. nanum , two shallow clades were observed and several haplotypes were shared between localities, indicating moderate maternal gene flow. Diversification in the two forest-dwelling species occurred during the Plio-Pleistocene climatic oscillations and was associated with increased xeric conditions, whereas in C. nanum a recent, Holocene divergence was inferred. Ancient climatic factors thought to be causal in the divergences within each of the three species are discussed. The marked mtDNA differentiation in the two forest specialist species suggests the presence of distinct management units that should be considered in future conservation management decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To assess the contribution of traditional and modifiable risk factors to the overall risk and prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) amongst health workers (HWs) in the public sector. Design: A retrospective analysis was performed on data obtained from 260 participants. Setting and subjects: HWs at Tygerberg Hospital, Western Cape attending the World Diabetes Day (WDD) metabolic screening and educational event. Outcome measures: The 10-year risk stratification for T2DM was calculated in all HWs attending the WDD event. This was based on the Finnish 'Test2prevent' diabetes risk calculator endorsed by the International Diabetes Federation assessing a set of well-established metabolic risk factors. Self-reported consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) was added to the questionnaire but did not add to the risk calculation. Results: The prevalence of known hyperglycaemia in this cohort is concerning (11%, n = 62). An additional 29 health workers were identified as at high risk to develop T2DM within 10 years. Consumption of SSBs and minimal physical activity were identified as modifiable targets for intervention. Conclusions: Education and lifestyle interventions are of paramount importance to ensure the metabolic health of HWs and their communities. Policies and guidelines focused on limiting unhealthy/obesogenic work environments are urgently needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To describe the establishment of a colposcopy service at a district hospital in a rural sub-district of the Western Cape, South Africa, and assess its impact on colposcopy uptake. Design. A retrospective double-group cohort study using a laboratory database of cervical cytology results, clinical records and colposcopy clinic registers. Setting. The Overstrand sub-district, where 80 000 people are served by seven clinics and a district hospital in Hermanus, 120 km from its referral hospitals in Cape Town and Worcester. A colposcopy service was established at Hermanus Hospital in 2008. Subjects. All women in the sub-district who required colposcopy on the basis of cervical smears done in 2007 and 2009. Outcome measures. Numbers of women booked for colposcopy at distant referral hospitals in 2007 and at the district hospital in 2009, the proportions who attended colposcopy, the time from cervical smear to colposcopy, and comparison between the two years. Results. Uptake of colposcopy booked at distant referral hospitals was 67% in 2007. Uptake improved by 18% to 79% for the district hospital colposcopy service in 2009 (p=0.06). When patients from an area with no public transport to the district hospital were excluded from analysis, the improvement was more marked at 22% (p=0.02). The delay from cervical smear to colposcopy improved significantly from 170 to 141 days (p=0.02). Conclusion. Establishment of a colposcopy service in a rural sub-district increased uptake of colposcopy and decreased the delay from cervical smear to colposcopy. The service removed 202 booked patients in one year from the colposcopy load of the referral hospitals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the appropriate level of aggregation for the construction of total factor productivity (TFP) indices. The dataset covers the magisterial districts and statistical regions of the Western Cape for the years 1952 to 2002. Over these five decades agricultural production in the Western Cape grew twice as fast as in the country as a whole but this average masks substantial regional variation. Results show that TFP growth was negative in the Karoo, moderate in the Swartland, Overberg and Southern Cape, and generally above 2% per year in the Boland and Breede River Valleys, where there is extensive irrigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This contribution explores the relationship between gender, religion and the environment in terms of the perceptions of a group of first-year students registered for a course on Environmental Awareness Techniques and Training at the University of the Western Cape in South Africa. The empirical investigation indicates that there is a surprisingly high level of environmental awareness amongst this group, possibly reflecting their different living conditions, but that they were unable to recognize connections between their environmental commitment, their religious affiliation and gender consciousness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A survey of 190 wine and table grape farmers in the Western Cape puts the average wage for farm labour at R928 per month in 2003 and R1123 per month in 2004. Output per worker has doubled since 1983. On farms with grape harvesters, labour is 30 per cent more productive (48 ton/worker) than on farms where wine grapes are picked by hand (37 ton/worker). At 9.75 tons per worker, table grapes are four times as labour-intensive as wine grapes. Resident men dominate the workforce on wine farms, while the resident female workforce is 20 per cent larger than the resident male workforce on table grape farms. Seasonal workers contribute a third of labour in table grapes, and brokers less than ten per cent in either case. In a single-equation short-run Hicksian demand function, wage, output, capital levels and mechanisation intensities are highly significant determinants of employment. Higher wages decrease employment and larger output increases employment. More mechanisation, measured by the number of tractors used to produce a ton of fruit, raises labour intensity too. Grape harvesters could not be shown to reduce jobs. The ten per cent rise in the minimum wage planned for March 2005 could reduce employment by 3.3 per cent in the wine industry and 5.9 per cent in the table grape industry, but it is more likely that the wage increase will be offset against fewer benefits. The average expected impact is about the same as for all agriculture and manufacturing as a whole. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Response time for repairing rail infrastructure failures remains a challenge in the South African rail industry. The 'mean time to return' metric consists of mean time to respond and mean time to repair. This article investigates the mean time to respond for signalling infrastructure at the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) in the Western Cape, and introduces a strategy to reduce downtime. The results show that the time of occurrence, the location, and the nature of incidents, as well as the location of maintenance personnel, influence the time to respond. A model is developed to assist with improved decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]