BACKGROUND: Dysmenorrhea is a common gynaecological condition that affects the daily activities of the women who suffer from it. In the education context, female students often have to spend long hours at clinics or doctors’ appointments due to dysmenorrhoea, thus having to miss lectures when dysmenorrhea impacts adversely on their studies and academic performance. Purpose: This study sought to determine the knowledge and practice of female students at the University of Namibia, Rundu campus regarding the management of dysmenorrhea METHODOLOGY: A quantitative study was employed using a non-experimental, cross-sectional approach. The non-probability sampling method was used with convenient sampling being employed. A total of 303 fulltime female students from the University of Namibia, Rundu Campus were selected to participate in the study. Of the 303 students selected 295 completed the open-ended questionnaires which they were given. The data from the questionnaires was analysed manually and the findings presented in the form of tables, graphs and pie charts. RESULTS: The study found that dysmenorrhea was affecting 88.1% of the students at the University of Namibia, Rundu Campus. In addition, there was evidently a lack of knowledge on the management of dysmenorrhea, as 46% only of the participants appeared to possess adequate knowledge on the management of dysmenorrhea. The study also found that approximately 54.2% of the participants sought medical assistance when experiencing dysmenorrhea, 30.8% used home remedies of which 91.3% were effective, 12.3% used traditional herbs of which 90.6% were effective, while 25.3% exercised or did other activities in order to relieve pain. CONCLUSION: The findings indicated that dysmenorrhea was affecting the majority of female students on Rundu Campus although only a few of them possessed adequate knowledge on the management of dysmenorrhea and only about half (46%) of the respondents sought medical help. Recommendation: The findings indicated the need for the university to build a clinic on campus and to organise student wellness programmes which included the management of dysmenorrhoea.

Solid waste management in Rundu, Namibia, is a major challenge, resulting in significant environmental health hazards. The purpose of this study was therefore to identify and describe the factors contributing to poor environmental hygiene specifically in Kehemu location in Rundu, while the objectives were to explore the factors contributing to poor environmental hygiene in the area. A qualitative approach was employed comprising an explorative and descriptive design. The research population for this particular study consisted of residents of Kehemu location and a sample was drawn from this population using purposive sampling. Data were collected from focus group discussions conducted with 15 (fifteen) residents. The transcribed interviews and narratives from the research notes were organised into codes, main themes and sub-themes. The results from this study revealed, among other things, that the methods used by most households for disposing of waste included digging holes, burning the waste and dumping it in open areas. In addition, factors contributing to poor environmental hygiene in Kehemu location include a lack of dumping sites, dustbins and refuse removal services. The findings of this study call for well-articulated actions to address the factors identified as being associated with poor environmental hygiene in Kehemu. The study recommends that the town council should empower the community by providing dustbins, initiating clean-up campaigns and providing education and awareness-raising as some measures for curbing problems related to environmental health.

Although, at the time of this study, the cardiotocograph machine was the acceptable monitoring tool to be used intrapartum, its appropriate use was a matter of concern for midwives globally. This article reports the findings of a qualitative study which investigated the perceptions of midwives, who were working in a labor ward in a public referral hospital in Namibia, regarding the use of the cardiotocograph machine. The objectives of the study included: to explore and describe the perceptions of midwives working in a labor ward in Namibia regarding the use of the cardiotocograph machine as a labor monitoring tool; and to explore and describe how midwives working in a labor ward in Namibia perceived informing women who were in labor about the use of the cardiotocograph machine as a labor monitoring tool. The study site was a public referral hospital which offered services to the five northern regions of Namibia. The requisite data was collected using semi-structured, one-on-one interviews which were conducted with seventeen (17) purposively selected participants. The interviews were recorded on an audio device. The spiral method of data analysis was adopted. The study findings revealed that the participants had varying perceptions on the use of the cardiotocograph machine intrapartum and, as such, perceived its use as a challenge. It was concluded that midwives need to be empowered via refresher courses with regard to the use of cardiotocograph machine to ensure optimum results.