Awareness of Social Infrastructures for Victims of Child Abuse Among Primary Health Workers in Ogun State, Nigeria.

Abstract

There is a significant dearth of information on available social infrastructures for helping victims of child abuse among all cadres of primary health-care workers. The aim of this study was to assess the level of awareness of social and legal structures among primary health-care workers, which can help in reducing incidences and taking action. The survey was a cross-sectional survey of 20 primary health-care centers and 86 health workers in Ogun State, Southwest Nigeria. The result showed a low level of awareness among health workers. A large percentage of health workers were unaware of any social infrastructure or hospital protocol for child abuse reporting: 68.4% of medical officers, 54.5% of nurses, and 66.7% of other health workers. There is a need for deliberate training among health workers on social infrastructure, which can help victims of child abuse.