Health Care Delivery In Nigeria Research Articles

Challenges and opportunities in urban health care delivery in Nigeria

People in many parts of Nigeria are facing serious challenges in accessing healthcare due to the rapid increase in the number of people migrating to urban areas. This makes the accessibility even more difficult as a result of meagre funds allocated to health sectors. It is on this premise that the study elucidates key healthcare challenges facing the urban population in Nigeria to identify potential opportunities for improvement in the nation’s development in order to meet the sustainable development goal (SDG) 3. The study explicitly shows that 39 percent of the people visited the hospital for medical care, 64.8 percent visited clinics, 12 percent and 7.9 percent visited dispensary and pharmacy respectively. This was due to average time spent to travel to seek consultation. This is why we propose the following recommendations; Robust Health Data, Capacity Building, Promoting Quality Health Professionals, Improved Health care Funding, Health Policy, and Adoption of Technology (Telemedicine).

Healthcare Delivery in Nigeria: Traditional Medicine Practitioners Perspectives to Universal Health Coverage and Traditional Medicine Integration with Conventional Medicine

Introduction: The knowledge, attitude, and practice of Traditional Medicine Practitioners (TMPs) are key to achieving effective and sustainable integration of all forms of Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicine (TCAM) and health services towards Universal Health Coverage (UHC). In this study, the operational and psychological readiness of Traditional Medicine Practitioners towards integration with the conventional health system was examined by critically considering the various factors central to traditional medicine integration as recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO) Traditional Medicine strategy (2014–2023).
 Methods: Paper based questionnaires were administered to Traditional medicine practitioners from three geo-political zones in Nigeria along with Key Informant Interviews. Qualitative – thematic and content analysis using both iterative and interpretative processes, and quantitative –descriptive and inferential analysis were done using statistical package for social sciences version 25.
 Results: A total of 337 respondents participated in the study ranging from 21-61 years of age. More than half (61.7%) were males. Most respondents 310 (92%) had one form of formal education out of which those with secondary education constitute over one-thirds, 121 (35.9%). Over three-quarter of the respondents, 290 (86.1%) were into general practice and over half of the respondents had between 11 – 20 years of experience as traditional medicine practitioners. About two-thirds, 216 (64.1%) of study participants had no knowledge of what integration nor Universal Health Coverage 256, (76%) meant. However, many of the respondents (76.3%) had a good attitude towards integration. More than two-thirds of respondents, 241 (71.5%) claimed to keep patient records but only 157 (46.6%) kept written records.
 Conclusion: Traditional Medicine Practitioners in Nigeria have a positive outlook towards integration. Salient knowledge and practice gaps among them have been revealed. The study shows that regulatory and policy actions should be centred around the support, capacity building through trainings and conferences to disseminate information on scientific/technological advancements to improve their practice, and also to improve on existing policies and government activities.

Knowledge of Digital Technology, Its Access and Use to Enhance Dissemination of Health Information Among Residents of Ogui New Layout Enugu, Nigeria

Background: There seems to be a rapidly growing trend of consumers’ utilization of information technology (IT) systems in Nigeria. Ease of internet access via smartphones has made information on various subjects including health readily available to many Nigerians. About 50.2% of Nigerians use the internet. It has become a popular health intervention tool because of its easy access on a variety of devices (laptops, mobile phones, tablets) and is now a common resource to disseminate and find health information. Therefore, the need to obtain such data using this community-based survey to assess the feasibility of exploiting the full potential of ICT to disseminate health information and improve healthcare delivery in Nigeria, given the seemingly rising consumer uptake of internet and mobile electronic technology is important. Methodology: This community-based cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted among residents of Ogui New Layout, Enugu, Enugu state, Nigeria to assess knowledge of digital technology, its access and use among its residents to enhance dissemination of health information. All those living in the area at the time of study were included, excluding those less than 15yrs giving a total of 487 participants using multistage sampling method. Data was collected using structured self-administered questionnaire adapted from similar work done among New York state residents. Results: Health information seeking via digital technology was found to be highest among people aged 15-24 years and people who attained tertiary level of education. Conclusion: Given high access to ICT and utilization of its features as established in this work among our respondents for both health and non-health related activities, digital channels can be an effective means of facilitating healthcare and health promotion interventions among the people.

Influence of Public Service Announcements on Primary Health Care Delivery in Nigeria

This paper examined the influence of public service announcements on primary healthcare delivery in Nigeria. The study adopted the explorative research method which reviewed literatures by scholars as related to this study. Two empirical reviews were understudied, the theory of reasoned action and social marketing theory were adopted and studied. The study recommended that all government should review their financial allocations to health care delivery in line with global best practices . High priority programmes for primary healthcare should be considered and additional resources that may be available deployed, more staff should be trained and increase in wages for those who will agree to serve in the area, effective public service announcements messages should also be strategically planned by communicators to influence behaviours; etc

Opinion Leadership and Achievement of Sustainable Health Care in Nigeria: Analyzing the Two-Step Flow Paradigm

This study examined the influence of opinion leadership in the achievement of sustainable health care delivery in Nigeria using this two-step flow paradigm. Two previous studies were reviewed as related to the study and the two-step flow theory was used to provide the theoretical background to the study. The paper recommended that there should be functional and competent evaluation systems to track progress and challenges in the health sector at all levels of operation and periodical reviews done to improve the quality of care, the influence of opinion leaders should not be neglected because they can be used to interpret health policies thereby helping the government get the desired outcomes or shape certain opinions, especially on health issues, etc

Application of Telemedicine for Healthcare Delivery in Nigeria

Application of Telemedicine for Healthcare Delivery in Nigeria

Utilization of Health Information System to Enhance Health Care Delivery in Nigeria

Utilization of Health Information System to Enhance Health Care Delivery in Nigeria

COVID-19 pandemic on maternal and child healthcare services and the inclusion of Perinatal Social Workers in effective healthcare delivery in Nigeria

Women's well-being determines the health of the next generation. Globally, 6,000 children under five die daily and an additional 950 Nigerian children die daily from preventable diseases. These diseases lead to deaths and complications. Social workers as change agents work as perinatal workers in other to help in alleviating most health challenges faced by women and children. Perinatal social workers act as helpers to individuals, families, and communities to enable them to respond to the various psychosocial issues that tend to emerge during the period from pre-pregnancy through an infant’s first year of life. The study utilized a secondary method of data collection and the data was analyzed and discussed. This study recommends that social workers in perinatal health care should be actively involved and included in daily maternal and child health care activities to improve their care and well-being to promote health and prevent diseases. The Nigerian government needs to reinforce their commitments to achieving immunity for its citizens especially women and children by stepping up safe and effective vaccine procurement efforts.

Knowledge, perception and practice of preconception care among health workers in primary healthcare settings in Ibadan, Nigeria

Background Preconception care comprises interventions that aim to identify and modify biomedical, behavioural and social risks to a woman's health or pregnancy outcome through prevention and management. Despite its importance, it is less routinely practiced in Nigeria and information on the knowledge and practice of preconception care among health workers at the community level is scanty. Hence, this study investigated healthcare workers' knowledge, perception and practice of preconception care in Ibadan, Nigeria. Methods A descriptive, cross-sectional research design, using non-probability sampling, was used to select 80 health workers across two local government areas in Ibadan to participate in this study. Four research questions with two null hypotheses were formulated to guide the study and a semi-structured questionnaire was distributed to gather data on the participants' knowledge, perceptions and practice of preconception care. The data were analysed using regression analysis, with P<0.05 used to indicate significance. Results The majority of respondents had fair knowledge of preconception care (53.8%), and a generally positive perception (74.3%), but poor practice (42.2%) of preconception care. Only 15.0% practiced preconception care every day when caring for women and couples in their communities. Knowledge of preconception care was positively associated with health workers' age (P<0.000), occupation (P=0.002) and years of experience (P<0.000). Conclusions Healthcare workers in Ibadan need to be trained on preconception care guidelines and resources should be made available for their use at every level of healthcare delivery in Nigeria.

Perception of herbal practitioners on the application of modern technology to healthcare delivery in Nigeria

Abstract Background This study explored the perception of Nigerian Herbal Practitioners on the application and impact of modern technology on healthcare delivery in Nigeria concerning medical healthcare service to the patient at a distance. Methods An in-depth questionnaire set up for the herbal practitioners (respondents) in selected domains (usefulness of the technology for patients and practitioner's practice; perceived knowledge about the use of modern technology to telediagnosis in herbal medicine) was developed and administered to 100 respondents. The Evaluation performances, based on the System Reliability Index (SRI), System Degree of Relevance (SDR), and System Ease of Usage (SEU) were evaluated for the ninety-five responses received. Results The majority (80%) preferred the application of modern technology in terms of improving patient management and satisfaction. Others (20%) have reservations for the technical reliability, privacy, practice expenses, cost of setting up the equipment, time, trust, skill, and diagnostic accuracy of patients. The SRI, SDR, and SEU obtained for the responses are 3.42, 3.15.and 2.88, respectively, while the hypothesis derivative crouch coefficient is 0.72 and 0.85 for the validity and reliability, respectively, of the system. Conclusion The majority of the herbal practitioners agreed and support the concept of modern technology and its application in the current practitioner's practice. This suggests that the application of modern technology to the practices of the study explored the perception of Nigerian Herbal Practitioners will improve healthcare delivery in Nigeria.

PROVISION OF RELIABLE ELECTRICITY TO PRIMARY HEALTH CARE FACILITIES IN NIGERIA - A NEW FOCUS OF INTERVENTIONS

The provision of reliable electricity to health facilities is a new focus of interventions to improve the quality of health care services. This is because many modern interventions, such as improving maternal and child health and reducing mortality, need modern medical technologies that operate with electricity. The Nigerian government, through the federal ministry of health, has been providing funding for community-based, evidence-based, and cost-effective interventions aimed at reducing maternal and neonatal mortality in remote areas. However, the lack of electricity remains a neglected barrier to effective intervention at reducing maternal and neonatal mortality and provision of health services. Many people in rural Nigeria lack access to basic modern health care, as health facilities serve them without electricity, and this creates a barrier to the attainment of key health-related goals. Ensuring 24/7 access to electricity in primary health care facilities [a part of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG)7] can significantly contribute to improving the quality of life, by providing better health care services (SDG3). But, most of the primary health care facilities are confronted with an unreliable power supply that leads to the high cost of generating power from diesel to operate their equipment, and this adds significantly to the cost of the public health system. Based on the literature, comparative case studies and success in similar settings, in which a solar system has been used as a replacement and had positive outcomes, installation of solar-powered systems for the health care centers will drastically reduce the facility energy costs and this, in turn, will increase the quality of health care delivery in Nigeria.

Improving access, quality and efficiency in health care delivery in Nigeria: a perspective

Providing equitable access to health care for every Nigerian is central in the country´s National Health Act. But the Nigerian Health System ranks poorly in terms of access and quality just as the country also ranks poorly on Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index. The problem of lack of access to quality health care stems from wasteful use of primary care services at referral centres. In the rural communities where the burden of morbidity and mortality is high, efficient health expenditure and service utilization is plagued by the absence of adequately functioning Primary Health Centers (PHC), cost sharing schemes and corrupt practices in the health sector. In order to curb these issues, policy options such as revamping the PHC and prioritizing the delivery of a basic minimum package of health care are useful to consider. Furthermore, implementation of strong actions to curb corruption in the health sector will improve access to care and health outcomes and it does not incur extra financial investment. This is achievable through improvement in public financial management and limiting corruption by making right choices in resource allocation towards pro-poor interventions. Similarly, well designed package of services and prioritization of primary care making best use of human resource will be beneficial. This is relevant to the Nigerian health system, leveraging on the country´s decentralized administration and strengthening Community Health Committees’ role in ensuring accountability and transparency at the PHCs. Finally, considering the role community health committees play in driving demand at the communities, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) can coordinate the development of a joint action plan for health care delivery, between a committee and each respective PHC facility. This will promote efficient use of resources and facilitate access to quality health care at each facility.

Assessing the Impact of Information Communication Technology on Medical Education and Healthcare Delivery in Nigeria During Covid-19 Pandemic Lockdown

Assessing the Impact of Information Communication Technology on Medical Education and Healthcare Delivery in Nigeria During Covid-19 Pandemic Lockdown

Medical Imaging System and the Health Care Delivery System in Nigeria: An Overview

The concept of using an imaging system to effectively diagnose and treat patients is well embraced in medical health care delivery systems of most advanced countries of the world. This has brought a lot of efficiency, availability and a high degree of leverage to the systems. But implementing such a system in third world countries especially a state such as Nigeria is still a challenge. The prospect of implementation, however, is enormous. This study aims at providing first-hand information about medical imaging to the health care practitioners. It is also intended to give a brief overview of the state of medical imaging in the health care delivery system with a focus on Nigeria. It additionally gives an insight into its challenges and discusses the benefits and prospects of the computer imaging system in the system. A methodological review of the current state of medical imaging system was examined with particular focus on its relationship to the health care delivery system in Nigeria. The use, benefits, method of generating as well as challenges and the huge potential of medical imaging in the advancement of the health care delivery system in Nigeria were examined. The study exposes the latest trend in medical imaging technologies and the relevancies to the Nigeria health care delivery system. Also, it examines the use of imaging technologies to treat various medical conditions of a patient in pre-medical and post-medical therapy. Also, up-to-date information about medical imaging focusing on Nigeria health care delivery system was discussed. It provides the first-hand informative source for medical practitioners as well as the general public when evaluating the need and importance of medical images to the overall health care delivery system in Nigeria. It reveals the uses, process in generating, capturing, storage and reporting of medical imaging as well as exploring the challenges and benefit of an imaging system in advancing health care delivery system in Nigeria. The study exposes the latest trend in medical imaging technologies and the relevancies to the Nigeria health care delivery system.

Bioactivity of Khaya Senegalensis (Desr.) A. Juss. and Tamarindus indica L. extracts on Selected Pathogenic Microbes

Khaya senegalensis and Tamarindus indica are widely used medicinal plant in many parts of Africa to manage infectious diseases. The barks of these plants were screened for their phytochemicals and their bioactivity activity against some clinical pathogenic microorganisms. Results of the phytochemical screening showed that tha a queous, methanolic and ethanolic extracts of the barks of the plants contain saponins, tannins, basalms, glycosides, steriods, terpenoids and flavonoids. The antimicrobial susceptibility test showed that bark extracts of Khaya senegalensis and Tamarindus indica had varying inhibition strength on the test organisms. The aqueous, ethanolic and methanolic extracts of Khaya senegalensis had the highest zone of inhibition on three of the isolates which were; Pseudomonas 27853, Klebsiella pneumonia and Escherichia coli (Carbapenem-resistant strain). While the aqueous, ethanolic and methanolic extracts of Tamarindus indica barks inhibited Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus 4330, Klebsiella pneumonia and Echerichia coli (non-carbapenem strain). The minimum inhibitory concentration of the bark extracts ranged from 400mg/ml to 25mg/ml. There was no minimum bactericidal concentration observed from the extracts. Antibiotics susceptibility test using standard antibiotics indicated multidrug resistance by the test organisms which Ceftriaxone (CRO) 30µg and Cefepime (FEP) 30µg elicited inhibitory activity against Carbapenem-resistant pseudomonas species, Pseudomonas aerigunosa ATCC 27853, and Echerichia coli (non- carbapenem strain) respectively. The result of this study, therefore suggest the possibility of using Khaya senegalensis and Tamarindus indica extracts as antimicrobial agents, which can be a great asset to drug development for purpose of health care delivery in Nigeria.

Beyond medicines provision: community pharmacists roles in meeting patient needs through value-added pharmacy services

Abstract Objectives Pharmacy practice now requires more patient-centred and outcome-oriented approach, hence the need for a more value-based model. In developing countries like Nigeria, out-of-pocket spending for health care is high and patients usually visit the community pharmacy first to attend to their health needs. Since patients need to get value for their money, assessing their perception on services provided and their need for value-added pharmacy services is imperative. Thus, this study aims at assessing the perception of patients on services provided by community pharmacies in Nigeria and to ascertain their needs for value-added pharmacy services. Methods A 15-item questionnaire was administered to randomly sampled respondents who routinely visit their community pharmacy. The questionnaire addressed demographics, satisfaction with community pharmacy practice, accessibility of healthcare professionals and need for value-added pharmacy services. The respondents gave oral informed consent prior to administration of the questionnaires. Descriptive statistics were applied in data analysis. Key Findings A total of 384 questionnaires were distributed, and 300 were duly filled and returned. The survey lasted for 3 months, and the questionnaires were self-completed. All respondents agreed that pharmacy practice is important in healthcare delivery in Nigeria. Seventy-one per cent stated that the community pharmacy was their first port of call for treating minor ailments and seeking advice on medicines and health. Furthermore, 61% indicated that they trust pharmacists more than other health professionals in the area of medicines provision and advice. All respondents agreed that they require provision of more services other than medication dispensing and advice from their pharmacists. Conclusions Results suggest that patients have a positive perception towards community pharmacists as the most accessible and trusted health professionals for minor ailments and medicines provision. However, in addition to medicines provision, these patients require more services from pharmacists that add value in meeting their various health and medicines needs.

Measuring Efficiency Growth Rate in the Pre and Post Deregulation Periods: Wireless Mobile Phone Technology on Healthcare Delivery in Nigeria

Measuring Efficiency Growth Rate in the Pre and Post Deregulation Periods: Wireless Mobile Phone Technology on Healthcare Delivery in Nigeria

Shortage of psychiatrists: A barrier to effective mental health-care delivery in Nigeria

Shortage of psychiatrists: A barrier to effective mental health-care delivery in Nigeria

Leadership Styles versus Health Workers' Job Satisfaction: Relationships, Correlates and Predictors in Tertiary Hospitals in Ekiti State, Southwest Nigeria.

The healthcare delivery in Nigeria operates in a turbulent environment with professional rivalry leading to job dissatisfaction among players. This lack of cohesion, which has shown the need for appropriate leadership, has made healthcare professionals function in an environment of uncertainty, disorder, and ambiguity. This study assessed leadership styles and health workers' job satisfaction in tertiary hospitals in Ekiti State, Nigeria. This is a cross-sectional study. Multistage sampling technique was used to select respondents. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS version 20.0 statistical software. Level of statistical significance was set at P < 0.05. More than half, 205 (51.8%), of the employees were found to be within the third decade of life with a mean of 33.2 ± 7.2 years. Among the employees, only 6 (1.5%) had high job satisfaction; laissez faire style had negative relationship with job satisfaction (r = -0.084; P = 0.094). Age of the leader (r = -0.095), duration of tenure by the heads of units (r = -0.003) exhibited negative correlation with job satisfaction. Age of employees and contingent reward were found to be significantly predictive of job satisfaction (P < 0.05). Very few of the employees had high job satisfaction and leadership styles impacts health workers' job satisfaction differently. Transformational styles were more related to health workers' job satisfaction than the transactional styles. Laissez-faire exhibited a negative relationship with job satisfaction. There is need for leadership skills on the part of the healthcare leaders; age of leader and duration of tenure needs to be further benchmarked to improve job satisfaction among the healthcare workers.

Clinical governance: Quality Health-Care System for 21st Century

Clinical governance is a system through which all organizations in the health system are accountable for continuously improving the quality of their clinical services and ensuring high standard of care by creating a facilitative environment in which excellence flourishes. Clinical governance has not been an important component of healthcare delivery in Nigeria. Clinical Governance has become the most important component of health care system for the 21st century. The aim is that, health care should be safe, effective, patient centered, timely, efficient and equitable.