Planning PHC for a community: a baseline survey provides essential data.

Abstract

Lagos University Teaching Hospital is developing a primary health care (PHC) system for a 50 km square rural area of Ogun State, southwest nigeria. The 1st step in 1984, was to carry out a baseline sample survey of the area. The survey was designed to provide basic demographic, socioeconomic, health status and health practices data. The data was to be used to plan services, set objectives, guide service delivery and provide a baseline for evaluation. The findings of the survey proved extremely useful for planning, and also provided a number of surprises. Health education is an important component of PHC. Hence the extent of female illiteracy as shown by the survey, 78%, was deeply distrubing. The survey revealed that self-medication, including use of antibiotics, was practiced on a greater scale than anticipated. The survey showed a very low immunization status among pre-school children: less than 5% were fully immunized. They had a relatively poor nutritional status also: 36% were below the WHO reference standard. Modern contraceptive prevalence rates, among women in the reproductive age group, were 0. There were severe difficulties with water supply, less than 10% of the population having access to potable water. The average water use per person per day was 8 liters. All these findings, and others not here described, have permitted the setting of appropriate and feasible service objectives, and will permit subsequent monitoring and evaluation of program activities.