Virginia Zweigenthal
Biographic Data
| ID | 6554382 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Virginia Zweigenthal |
| GIVEN NAMES | Virginia |
| FAMILY NAME | Zweigenthal |
| SIGNATURE | ZWEIGENTHAL V |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Cape Town |
| ORCID | 0000-0003-3914-2156 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 13 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 0 |
| WORKS AS AUTHOR | 13 |
| WORKS AS EDITOR | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2007 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 0 |
Feasibility and acceptability of a compassion-focused program to support staff, improve workflows and enhance the clinic environment in South African primary health clinics with low ART retention
South Africa has the largest HIV epidemic globally. Despite improvement, retention on antiretroviral therapy (ART) remains challenging. We used a positive deviance (PD) approach to develop a program called Connect designed to increase retention in HIV care by improving the staff and patient experience. PD consists of discovering ways in which high-performing outliers succeed despite sizable barriers and then sharing successful strategies with low…
Career trajectories of master of public health graduates from South African universities
Perceptions of South Africa’s master of public health graduates on the degree’s contribution to their leadership at work and in society
Introduction: Integrating public health functions into national health systems is essential to enhance population health. The Master of Public Health (MPH) degree is an important foundation for public health practice in low-and middle-income countries such as South Africa. However, insufficient evidence on individual motivations for undertaking the MPH and the perceptions of graduates on the utility of the degree at work and in society and its co…
Investigating the disjoint between education and health policy for infant feeding among teenage mothers in South Africa
Our findings suggest educators should actively encourage school attendance in a healthy pregnant adolescent until delivery with later return to school, and health providers should focus attention on breastfeeding for the initial 4-6 weeks postpartum, followed by guided support of formula-feeding. We encourage the active engagement of adolescents' mothers and extended families who are often involved in infant feeding and care decisions. Education …
The Speciality of Public Health Medicine in South Africa
The speciality, Public Health Medicine (PHM), was developed in response to political and health realities in pre-apartheid South Africa (SA), following the lead of the discipline in Britain, SA’s previous coloniser. This article describes a 47-year journey from its origins as Community Health through to current practice, based on reviews of archival material, databases of institutional stakeholders involved in trainee education and our own experi…
Adolescent girls’ perceptions of breastfeeding in two low-income periurban communities in South Africa
In South Africa, exclusive breastfeeding rates are low, and rates of teenage pregnancy are high. Educational policy enables mothers' return to school, which conflicts with policy emphasizing exclusive breastfeeding. We elicited adolescent women's perceptions and experiences of infant feeding choices, and conducted six focus groups ( N = 57) in two periurban settlements. Participants knew arguments in favor of and against breast and formula-feedin…
Motivations of South African physicians specialising in public health
BACKGROUND: South African physicians can specialise in public health through a four-year 'registrar' programme. Despite national health policies that seemingly value public health (PH) approaches, the Public Health Medicine (PHM) speciality is largely invisible in the health services. Nevertheless, many physicians enrol for specialist training. OBJECTIVES: This study investigated physicians' motivations for specialising in PHM, their intended car…
‘Why do an MPH?’ Motivations and intentions of physicians undertaking postgraduate public health training at the University of Cape Town
BACKGROUND: Public health (PH) approaches underpin the management and transformation of health systems in low- and middle-income countries. Despite the Master of Public Health (MPH) rarely being a prerequisite for health service employment in South Africa, many physicians pursue MPH qualifications. OBJECTIVES: This study identifies their motivations and career intentions and explored MPH programme strengths and gaps in under- and post-graduate PH…
Emtonjeni—A Structural Intervention to Integrate Sexual and Reproductive Health into Public Sector HIV Care in Cape Town, South Africa
Implementing intimate partner violence care in a rural sub-district of South Africa
BACKGROUND: Despite a high burden of disease, in South Africa, intimate partner violence (IPV) is known to be poorly recognised and managed. To address this gap, an innovative intersectoral model for the delivery of comprehensive IPV care was piloted in a rural sub-district. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the initiative from the perspectives of women using the service, service providers, and managers. DESIGN: A qualitative evaluation was conducted. Servi…
Fertility Intentions and Reproductive Health Care Needs of People Living with HIV in Cape Town, South Africa
Clients’ perspectives on HIV/Aids care and treatment and reproductive health services in South Africa
Qualitative research was conducted with HIV-positive women and men of reproductive age attending HIV/AIDS care and treatment services at a public health clinic in Cape Town, South Africa. Focus group discussions were held with women (n = 4) and men (n = 4), and in-depth interviews were held with four men to explore perceptions and experiences of HIV/AIDS care and treatment and sexual and reproductive health (SRH) care. Respondents praised their H…
Policy maker and health care provider perspectives on reproductive decision-making amongst HIV-infected individuals in South Africa
The findings highlight the diversity of perspectives among policy makers and providers regarding the reproductive decisions taken by HIV-infected people. There is a clear need for more explicit policies recognizing the reproductive rights and choices of HIV-infected individuals
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Policy maker and health care provider perspectives on reproductive decision-making amongst HIV-infected individuals in South Africa
The findings highlight the diversity of perspectives among policy makers and providers regarding the reproductive decisions taken by HIV-infected people. There is a clear need for more explicit policies recognizing the reproductive rights and choices of HIV-infected individuals
Clients’ perspectives on HIV/Aids care and treatment and reproductive health services in South Africa
Qualitative research was conducted with HIV-positive women and men of reproductive age attending HIV/AIDS care and treatment services at a public health clinic in Cape Town, South Africa. Focus group discussions were held with women (n = 4) and men (n = 4), and in-depth interviews were held with four men to explore perceptions and experiences of HIV/AIDS care and treatment and sexual and reproductive health (SRH) care. Respondents praised their H…
Fertility Intentions and Reproductive Health Care Needs of People Living with HIV in Cape Town, South Africa
Implementing intimate partner violence care in a rural sub-district of South Africa
BACKGROUND: Despite a high burden of disease, in South Africa, intimate partner violence (IPV) is known to be poorly recognised and managed. To address this gap, an innovative intersectoral model for the delivery of comprehensive IPV care was piloted in a rural sub-district. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the initiative from the perspectives of women using the service, service providers, and managers. DESIGN: A qualitative evaluation was conducted. Servi…
‘Why do an MPH?’ Motivations and intentions of physicians undertaking postgraduate public health training at the University of Cape Town
BACKGROUND: Public health (PH) approaches underpin the management and transformation of health systems in low- and middle-income countries. Despite the Master of Public Health (MPH) rarely being a prerequisite for health service employment in South Africa, many physicians pursue MPH qualifications. OBJECTIVES: This study identifies their motivations and career intentions and explored MPH programme strengths and gaps in under- and post-graduate PH…
Emtonjeni—A Structural Intervention to Integrate Sexual and Reproductive Health into Public Sector HIV Care in Cape Town, South Africa
Motivations of South African physicians specialising in public health
BACKGROUND: South African physicians can specialise in public health through a four-year 'registrar' programme. Despite national health policies that seemingly value public health (PH) approaches, the Public Health Medicine (PHM) speciality is largely invisible in the health services. Nevertheless, many physicians enrol for specialist training. OBJECTIVES: This study investigated physicians' motivations for specialising in PHM, their intended car…
Adolescent girls’ perceptions of breastfeeding in two low-income periurban communities in South Africa
In South Africa, exclusive breastfeeding rates are low, and rates of teenage pregnancy are high. Educational policy enables mothers' return to school, which conflicts with policy emphasizing exclusive breastfeeding. We elicited adolescent women's perceptions and experiences of infant feeding choices, and conducted six focus groups ( N = 57) in two periurban settlements. Participants knew arguments in favor of and against breast and formula-feedin…
The Speciality of Public Health Medicine in South Africa
The speciality, Public Health Medicine (PHM), was developed in response to political and health realities in pre-apartheid South Africa (SA), following the lead of the discipline in Britain, SA’s previous coloniser. This article describes a 47-year journey from its origins as Community Health through to current practice, based on reviews of archival material, databases of institutional stakeholders involved in trainee education and our own experi…
Investigating the disjoint between education and health policy for infant feeding among teenage mothers in South Africa
Our findings suggest educators should actively encourage school attendance in a healthy pregnant adolescent until delivery with later return to school, and health providers should focus attention on breastfeeding for the initial 4-6 weeks postpartum, followed by guided support of formula-feeding. We encourage the active engagement of adolescents' mothers and extended families who are often involved in infant feeding and care decisions. Education …
Perceptions of South Africa’s master of public health graduates on the degree’s contribution to their leadership at work and in society
Introduction: Integrating public health functions into national health systems is essential to enhance population health. The Master of Public Health (MPH) degree is an important foundation for public health practice in low-and middle-income countries such as South Africa. However, insufficient evidence on individual motivations for undertaking the MPH and the perceptions of graduates on the utility of the degree at work and in society and its co…
Feasibility and acceptability of a compassion-focused program to support staff, improve workflows and enhance the clinic environment in South African primary health clinics with low ART retention
South Africa has the largest HIV epidemic globally. Despite improvement, retention on antiretroviral therapy (ART) remains challenging. We used a positive deviance (PD) approach to develop a program called Connect designed to increase retention in HIV care by improving the staff and patient experience. PD consists of discovering ways in which high-performing outliers succeed despite sizable barriers and then sharing successful strategies with low…
Career trajectories of master of public health graduates from South African universities
Medicine (10 works) · Public health (10 works) · Nursing (9 works) · Environmental health (7 works) · Population (6 works) · Economic growth (5 works) · Health care (5 works) · HIV/AIDS Research and Interventions (5 works) · Political science (5 works) · Sociology (5 works)