Paediatric problems in a rural area of south africa. A study in southern Lebowa.

Paediatric problems in children under 5 years of age seen at Jane Furse Memorial Hospital in southern Lebowa during 1980 are discussed. Major problems are gastro-enteritis, protein energy malnutrition and respiratory disease. Inadequate local food production and poor standards of basic hygiene are major contributing factors to illness. These are aggravated by administrative problems and lack of medical personnel. More attention needs to be paid to attracting South African doctors to homeland hospitals and to training primary health care nurses to work in these areas.