Attainment of sexual and reproductive health is regarded as a human rights matter. Notwithstanding this, maternal mortality continues to be a major public health concern in low-income countries, especially those in sub-Saharan Africa. Maternal mortality remains high in Africa, yet there are information communication technologies (ICTs) (such as the internet, mobile communication, social media, and community radios) that have the potential to make a difference. Making effective use of all of these ICTs can considerably decrease preventable maternal deaths. ICTs, particularly mobile devices, offer a platform for access to health information and services that can bring change in areas where health infrastructure and resources are often limited. However, for Southern Africa, maternal mortality remains high despite the presence of ICT tools that have transformative potential to improve maternal health. In light of this, this study sought to examine the impact of ICT on maternal health. The study was quantitative in nature, and it used panel data that covered the period from 2000–2018. The Mean Group and Pooled Mean Group cointegration techniques and a generalised method of moments panel technique were used for estimation purposes. Results showed that ICT has a negative effect on maternal health. This shows that ICT tools contribute positively to maternal health. The study gave a number of recommendations. The mobile gender gap should be closed (digital inclusion), mobile network connectivity boosted, and digital platforms must be created in order to enhance the transformative potential of ICT in improving health outcomes.

In contemporary post-apartheid a number of housing policies have been made since the 1994 democratic dispensation in an attempt to solve housing problems especially for poor and low-income population in South Africa. The most recent policy has been the Comprehensive Housing Plan for the Development of Integrated Sustainable Human Settlements commonly known as the Breaking New Ground (BNG) housing plan of 2004. The aims of this paper are to present an overview and empirical analysis on research and emerging legitimisation of the participation of informal institutions in planning phase for housing development in rural areas. This paper analyses public participatory processes in the planning phase of rural housing project(s) in Jozini Municipality in KwaZulu-Natal. Since the establishment of a fully-fledged local government institutions and the promulgation of the BNG in 2004, inhabitants have experienced materialisation of new housing opportunities for community members. These opportunities created during the planning phase which results to community members benefiting in housing development excludes the poor in the process of self-help subsidy administration and housing allocation. Grounded on the works of Foucauldian scholars especially the ‘discourse of power’ in participation, the paper argues that the local community members not only embody the local knowledge to be accessed, but their participation presents an important entry point to the political decision-making needed for collecting differing viewpoints and interests but also for initiating the negotiations needed that would lead to coordination, if not cooperation for housing development. We propose that participatory processes that are beneficiary to the poor are best understood when traced over time as a dynamic response to a constantly unfolding-project related intervention.

Background: Integrated human settlement initiatives are aimed at altering the apartheid housing patterns of the old South Africa that kept people of different races and languages apart.Aim: This article investigated how community leaders and municipal officials interact with their integrated constituencies to determine if the language(s) of communication used are unifying and are conducive for public participation in decision-making.Setting: The study was conducted at the eThekwini region in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) in South Africa where isiZulu, an African language, is dominant in terms of the number of speakers, but English has prestige as a lingua franca.Method: The study was qualitative in that 15 participants were interviewed on their experiences, observations and perceptions of languages of communication usage in their integrated human settlement. The settlement was used as a case study and the participants were purposefully selected.Results: The findings indicated that isiZulu dominates as the preferred language of communication at meetings and in written documents where it is often presented alongside English. There were speakers of other languages that were not happy with the dominance of isiZulu.Conclusion: The dominant use of isiZulu bodes well for the promotion of African languages as they have in the past not been given the official status they deserve. However, its dominance in a multilingual environment it has the potential to make other community members feel linguistically discriminated against.Contribution: The study undertakes an interdisciplinary approach to provide a deeper understanding on the role of language in the governance of multilingual societies. It raises an awareness on the importance of finding a balance between using the dominant community language and recognising other languages to ensure full participation of all immaterial of diverse linguistic backgrounds.

This study sought to examine the impact of air pollution on health in Africa. Air pollution is a major public health concern around the world. Exposure to air pollution has been linked to a slew of negative health consequences, ranging from subclinical effects, physiological changes in pulmonary functions and the cardiovascular system, to clinical symptoms, outpatient and emergency-room visits, hospital admissions, and finally to premature death. Health impact assessments indicate that sub-Saharan Africa suffers a high burden of disease and premature deaths, attributable to environmental pollution in the world. The health and economic repercussions of rapid pollution increases could jeopardize African efforts to enhance economic development, establish human capital, and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Despite all these, literature on pollution and health is still scanty in the case of Africa. This study was quantitative in nature, and it used a difference GMM approach to estimate its model. The GMM results showed that children are negatively affected by pollution. Children under the age of five are especially at risk, and the effects are believed to be most severe in developing countries, where exposure to high levels of ambient air pollution throughout childhood is thought to lower total life expectancy by an average of 4–5 years. Based on the findings of this study, it is recommended that African countries must not overlook the pollution problem. They must promote and use low carbon technologies and services. In the absence of active intervention, pollution will soon raise morbidity and death.

The South African national department of the health system is piloting the National Health Insurance (NHI). This is in preparation for the overhaul of healthcare services so that they are efficient and equitable to all citizens immaterial of their socio-economic status. This article aims to evaluate healthcare providers' perceptions of improved service delivery by the government’s health department during the first piloting phases of the NHI. The context of the study is a health district center in a rural area of KwaZulu-Natal province in South Africa. The article is interdisciplinary in that it interrogates governance issues in the health sector. A quantitative research methodology was utilized to collect data from 30 participants who were the center’s staff. The findings indicate that the significant areas of concern are lack of improvement in response rate to emergencies, ambulances, provision of resources, and specialized staff. The implication is that the government’s health department working with provincial departments, still has major healthcare reforms to address if the NHI program contributes effectively to healthcare service delivery.