Pitfalls of Financing Healthcare in Nigeria
Introduction The 2020 World Bank data estimates Nigeria's population to be about 202 million. Nigeria is also a multi-ethnic federation with 36 states spread across 6 geopolitical regions (North-Central, North-West, North-East, South-South, South-East, and South-West) and the Federal Capital Territory. The country's major source of revenue is oil and gas, with a Gross domestic product (GDP) of 23.4 billion USD. Health expenditure accounts for 3.7% of the total GDP and the total per capital e...
A Critical Comparison of Depression Among Adolescents in Nigeria and the United Kingdom (UK)
Background According to the WHO (2014 d), depression is the number one cause of health problems and disability amongst adolescents (age 10-19 years). Furthermore, suicide which is the third leading cause of death amongst this age group is strongly associated with severe forms of depression (WHO 2014d). Evidence indicates that half of the mental health disorders in adulthood start during adolescence (WHO 2014d).Therefore, proper intervention and prevention of mental health problems amongst ad...
Malaria: A Public Health Menace in Nigeria
BACKGROUND Nigeria has a tropical climate with temperatures ranging between 250C and 400 C. Average rainfall is about 2,650 millimetres in the southeast to less than 600 millimetres in some part of the north; with areas of mangrove swamps, tropical rain forests, coastal areas, open woodlands and Savannah. This climatic and geographic condition of Nigeria favours the transmission of malaria (Malaria Consortium, 2014), and is in keeping with the endemicity of the disease in the country. How...
The Menace of Poliomyelitis in Northern Nigeria
Background The poliovirus belongs to the enterovirus family and has three serotypes: serotype 1, 2 and 3. In addition, the 3 serotypes do not have cross immunity (Shors 2011). Therefore, immunity against one serotype does not provide immunity against another (WHO 2014c). It is noteworthy that Nigeria has not recorded any incidence of serotype 3 for about one year although the other serotypes still exist in the country (National Primary Healthcare Development Agency-NPHDA 2013). In addition,...
HOW DO TRADITIONAL BIRTH ATTENDANTS (TBAS) SUPPORT PREVENTION OF MOTHER TO CHILD TRANSMISSION (PMTCT) OF HIV IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA? A CRITICAL LITERATURE REVIEW
Background: This study is aimed at identifying sustainable and convenient ways that traditional birth attendants (TBAs) could support prevention of mother to child transmission (PMTCT) of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) in Sub-Saharan Africa. Method: The study was conducted using a critical literature review methodology. Key words and their alternative terms were identified. A Boolean search was carried out using the keywords and their alternative terms in Global Health, PubMed and Web of ...