Rural dwellers and health care in Northern Nigeria

Abstract

Villages and the health services available to rural dwellers in a northern region of Nigeria are described. The villages were visited as part of a social study of gynaecological patients attending A.B.U. Teaching Hospital, Zaria, to determine the availability and utilization of health care facilities. It was found that the majority of villagers had no ready access to orthodox health care facilities and, where such services existed, villagers used both orthodox and traditional systems. In the case of obstetric services, socio-cultural traditions and lack of education appear to affect adversely women's propensity to utilise obstetric care. It is demonstrated that an efficient obstetric service can gain people's trust so that they come to hospital more readily and so avoid complications in childbirth. The general picture presented, however, is one of deprivation. There is a lack of health services and those that exist are undermanned and ill equipped. Locally initiated cooperative enterprise indicates that an integrated approach to health care delivery would achieve good results in making health care facilities more readily available to the people. It was seen that it will be necessary to ensure a pure water supply, a good road system, educational and economic development, as well as more comprehensive health care coverage, if the general health status of rural dwellers in this region is to be raised.