| 1. |
- Hardon, A P, et al.
(author)
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Hunger, waiting time and transport costs : time to confront challenges to ART adherence in Africa
- 2007
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In: AIDS Care. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0954-0121 .- 1360-0451. ; 19:5, s. 658-665
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Adherence levels in Africa have been found to be better than those in the US. However around one out of four ART users fail to achieve optimal adherence, risking drug resistance and negative treatment outcomes. A high demand for 2nd line treatments (currently ten times more expensive than 1st line ART) undermines the sustainability of African ART programs. There is an urgent need to identify context-specific constraints to adherence and implement interventions to address them. We used rapid appraisals (involving mainly qualitative methods) to find out why and when people do not adhere to ART in Uganda, Tanzania and Botswana. Multidisciplinary teams of researchers and local health professionals conducted the studies, involving a total of 54 semi-structured interviews with health workers, 73 semi-structured interviews with ARTusers and other key informants, 34 focus group discussions, and 218 exit interviews with ART users. All the facilities studied in Botswana, Tanzania and Uganda provide ARVs free of charge, but ART users report other related costs (e.g. transport expenditures, registration and user fees at the private health facilities, and lost wages due to long waiting times) as main obstacles to optimal adherence. Side effects and hunger in the initial treatment phase are an added concern. We further found that ART users find it hard to take their drugs when they are among people to whom they have not disclosed their HIV status, such as co-workers and friends. The research teams recommend that (i) health care workers inform patients better about adverse effects; (ii) ART programmes provide transport and food support to patients who are too poor to pay; (iii) recurrent costs to users be reduced by providing three-months, rather than the one-month refills once optimal adherence levels have been achieved; and (iv) pharmacists play an important role in this follow-up care.
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| 2. |
- Zvarivadza, Tawanda, 1983-, et al.
(author)
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Geotechnical Design for Open Pit Coal Mining in Proximity to Electrical Power Lines: Risks, Mitigation, and Regulatory Compliance
- 2024
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In: 58th US Rock Mechanics/Geomechanics Symposium. - : American Rock Mechanics Association (ARMA).
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Open pit coal mining near electrical power lines presents distinct geotechnical challenges and regulatory demands, particularly under Section 17.6 of South Africa's Mine Health and Safety Act. This section requires a minimum 100 m buffer between mines and structures such as power lines unless deemed safe at closer distances. To balance safety with economic considerations, a detailed geotechnical risk assessment was performed to reduce this distance without compromising safety. This practical study is pivotal in optimising coal extraction while ensuring the integrity and safety of nearby power lines through well-considered geotechnical design. Employing empirical methods based on geological and geotechnical data, the study proposes a suitable geotechnical design, incorporating slope stability, ground control, and real-time monitoring to evaluate risks. This approach not only ensures compliance with regulatory standards but also enhances economic feasibility by increasing the minable coal resources. The findings highlight the critical role of comprehensive geotechnical design in allowing mining operations to coexist safely with essential power infrastructure. This research provides valuable insights for engineers, regulators, and industry stakeholders, establishing a framework for responsible mining in complex geotechnical environments. The recommendations from this study also guide future mining projects facing similar challenges, promoting sustainable and compliant mining practices.
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| 3. |
- Ernst, Yolandi, et al.
(author)
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The African Regional Greenhouse Gases Budget (2010–2019)
- 2024
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In: Global Biogeochemical Cycles. - 0886-6236. ; 38:4
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- As part of the REgional Carbon Cycle Assessment and Processes Phase 2 (RECCAP2) project, we developed a comprehensive African Greenhouse gases (GHG) budget covering 2000 to 2019 (RECCAP1 and RECCAP2 time periods), and assessed uncertainties and trends over time. We compared bottom-up process-based models, data-driven remotely sensed products, and national GHG inventories with top-down atmospheric inversions, accounting also for lateral fluxes. We incorporated emission estimates derived from novel methodologies for termites, herbivores, and fire, which are particularly important in Africa. We further constrained global woody biomass change products with high-quality regional observations. During the RECCAP2 period, Africa's carbon sink capacity is decreasing, with net ecosystem exchange switching from a small sink of −0.61 ± 0.58 PgC yr−1 in RECCAP1 to a small source in RECCAP2 at 0.16 (−0.52/1.36) PgC yr−1. Net CO2 emissions estimated from bottom-up approaches were 1.6 (−0.9/5.8) PgCO2 yr−1, net CH4 were 77 (56.4/93.9) TgCH4 yr−1 and net N2O were 2.9 (1.4/4.9) TgN2O yr−1. Top-down atmospheric inversions showed similar trends. Land Use Change emissions increased, representing one of the largest contributions at 1.7 (0.8/2.7) PgCO2eq yr−1 to the African GHG budget and almost similar to emissions from fossil fuels at 1.74 (1.53/1.96) PgCO2eq yr−1, which also increased from RECCAP1. Additionally, wildfire emissions decreased, while fuelwood burning increased. For most component fluxes, uncertainty is large, highlighting the need for increased efforts to address Africa-specific data gaps. However, for RECCAP2, we improved our overall understanding of many of the important components of the African GHG budget that will assist to inform climate policy and action.
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| 4. |
- Ilankoon, I.M.S.K, et al.
(author)
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E-waste in the international context : A review of trade flows, regulations, hazards, waste management strategies and technologies for value recovery
- 2018
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In: Waste Management. - : Elsevier. - 0956-053X .- 1879-2456. ; 82, s. 258-275
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- E-waste, or waste generated from electrical and electronic equipment, is considered as one of the fastest-growing waste categories, growing at a rate of 3–5% per year in the world. In 2016, 44.7 million tonnes of e-waste were generated in the world, which is equivalent to 6.1 kg for each person. E-waste is classified as a hazardous waste, but unlike other categories, e-waste also has significant potential for value recovery. As a result it is traded significantly between the developed and developing world, both as waste for disposal and as a resource for metal recovery. Only 20% of global e-waste in 2016 was properly recycled or disposed of, with the fate of the remaining 80% undocumented – likely to be dumped, traded or recycled under inferior conditions. This review paper provides an overview of the global e-waste resource and identifies the major challenges in the sector in terms of generation, global trade and waste management strategies. It lists the specific hazards associated with this type of waste that need to be taken into account in its management and includes a detailed overview of technologies employed or proposed for the recovery of value from e-waste. On the basis of this overview the paper identifies future directions for effective e-waste processing towards sustainable waste/resource management. It becomes clear that there is a strong divide between developed and developing countries with regard to this sector. While value recovery is practiced in centralised facilities employing advanced technologies in a highly regulated industrial environment in the developed world, in the developing world such recovery is practiced in a largely unregulated artisanal industry employing simplistic, labour intensive and environmentally hazardous approaches. Thus value is generated safely in the hi-tech environment of the developed world, whereas environmental burdens associated with exported waste and residual waste from simplistic processing remain largely in developing countries. It is argued that given the breadth of available technologies, a more systematic evaluation of the entire e-waste value chain needs to be conducted with a view to establishing integrated management of this resource (in terms of well-regulated value recovery and final residue disposal) at the appropriately local rather than global scale.
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| 5. |
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| 6. |
- Moyo, S., et al.
(author)
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Investigation into the rock mass response to pillar extraction in a hard rock tabular mine
- 2024
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In: 58th US Rock Mechanics/Geomechanics Symposium. - : American Rock Mechanics Association (ARMA).
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Historically, secondary pillar extraction has been successful in the soft rock mining environment. Several hard rock platinum mines have conducted selective remnant extraction with backfill as a regional support measure. A hard rock tabular platinum mine instigated the extraction within a non-yield pillar layout without backfill support. The mine is situated within the Great Dyke of Zimbabwe in a shallow depth environment of approximately 100m. Pillar extraction without backfill in a hard rock mine is a novel mining method. A study was carried out to make a quantitative comparison between the various design parameters and the rock mass response measurements. The primary mining utilised the mechanised room and pillar mining method to extract ore from the wide tabular reef. Similar, low profile mechanised equipment with additional automated systems were adopted for ore extraction and transportation to the surface crusher. The risks associated with the extraction of pillars include large localised falls of ground due to wide spans, pillar run, high severity injuries due to windblasts and large regional collapses through to the surface. The pre-feasibility study for the mine layout design used MAP3D to assess the expected displacement and stress limits post-extraction. MAP3D uses the boundary element method of analysis and has an in-built CAD system for stress analysis and 3-dimensional visualisation of models. A monitoring strategy consisting of displacement, deformation, stress change, ground motion and groundwater level measurements was put in place to record the variations resulting from the pillar extraction. The rock mass response analysis aimed at trending the monitoring results, conducting a comparison to the design parameters and previous pillar collapse trends. Minor stress, strain, and displacement changes have been recorded within a period of one year since the project began with no visible deformation noted on accessible pillars. The current system was identified as including the hazard identification and first-pass monitoring stages. Real-time monitoring systems with a higher sensitivity are required to ensure long-term data retrieval and timeous emergency response.
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