Demand and supply analysis for maternal and child health services at the primary healthcare level in Nigeria.

BACKGROUND: The low demand for maternal and child health services is a significant factor in Nigeria's high maternal death rate. This paper explores demand and supply-side determinants at the primary healthcare level, highlighting factors affecting provision and utilization. METHODS: This qualitative study was undertaken in Anambra state, southeast Nigeria. Anambra state was purposively chosen because a maternal and child health programme had just been implemented in the state. The three-delay model was used to analyze supply and demand factors that affect MCH services and improve access to care for pregnant women/mothers and newborns/infants. RESULT: The findings show that there were problems with both the demand and supply aspects of the programme and both were interlinked. For service users, their delays were connected to the constraints on the supply side. On the demand side, the delays include poor conditions of the facilities, the roads to the facilities are inaccessible, and equipment were lacking in the facilities. These delayed the utilisation of facilities. On the supply side, the delays include the absence of security (fence, security guard), poor citing of the facilities, inadequate accommodation, no emergency transport for referrals, and lack of trained staff to man equipment. These delayed the provision of services. CONCLUSION: Our findings show that there were problems with both the demand and supply aspects of the programme, and both were interlinked. For service users, their delays were connected to the constraints on the supply side

"If you are on duty, you may be afraid to come out to attend to a person": fear of crime and security challenges in maternal acute care in Nigeria from a realist perspective.

BACKGROUND: Maternal and Child Health is a global priority. Access and utilization of facility-based health services remain a challenge in low and middle-income countries. Evidence on barriers to providing and accessing services omits information on the role of security within facilities. This paper explores the role of security in the provision and use of maternal health services in primary healthcare facilities in Nigeria. METHODS: Study was carried out in Anambra state, Nigeria. Qualitative data were initially collected from 35 in-depth interviews and 24 focus groups with purposively identified key informants. Information gathered was used to build a programme theory that was tested with another round of interviews (17) and focus group (4) discussions. Data analysis and reporting were based on the Context-Mechanism-Outcome heuristic of Realist Evaluation methodology. RESULTS: The presence of a male security guard in the facility was the most important security factor that facilitated provision and uptake of services. Others include perimeter fencing, lighting and staff accommodation. Lack of these components constrained provision and use of services, by impacting on behaviour of staff and patients. Security concerns of facility staff who did not feel safe to let in people into unguarded facilities, mirrored those of pregnant women who did not utilize health facilities because of fear of not being let in and attended to by facility staff. CONCLUSION: Health facility security should be key consideration in programme planning, to avert staff and women's fear of crime which currently constrains provision and use of maternal healthcare at health facilities

Oral health-seeking behavior among different population groups in Enugu Nigeria.

IntroductionThis study investigates the oral health-seeking behaviour of households and its influence on demand for dental caries treatment services in Enugu state Nigeria.MethodsA quantitative descriptive cross-sectional study was used to explore the oral health seeking pattern of 378 urban and 348 rural household respondents in Enugu state Nigeria. The study explored dental caries treatment-seeking, oral health behavior of respondents using the three dynamics of the Andersen and Newman health utilization model; predisposing, enabling and need factors.FindingsRecommendations from community members (48.9%), severity of disease (22.1%), and cost of treatment (19.4%) all influenced where oral healthcare was first sought. Gender and type of occupation, influenced positive oral health-seeking behavior (pConclusionThe findings suggest that interventions to create increased oral health awareness targeted at education on preventive strategies, appropriate time and place to seek oral health care and dental caries treatment, as well devising and implementing health financing options such as dental insurance would enable individuals to seek appropriate treatment for dental caries on time. In addition, it will reduce the proportion of people visiting unorthodox healthcare providers for their oral health problems or choosing cheaper but inappropriate treatment options

Health system responses and capacities for COVID-19 in Nigeria: A scoping review

Background: Nigeria is in short supply of health workforce and equipment needed to manage the infected COVID-19 individuals. The rate of occurrence of new cases of infection has the capacity to further deplete the human resources in the sector, putting a dent in the fight against the spread of the virus. This study aims to determine the capacity of Nigerian health systems to respond to COVID-19. Materials and Methods: This was a scoping review of media documents, official documents and journals, published from 1st December 2019 to 31st December 2021. Online media reports were sourced from major newspapers on FACTIVA (Vanguard, Punch, Guardian, The Nation, Business Day, and Premium Times) that reported national and state level health system responses to COVID-19. We also reviewed other online news sources that have consistently reported health systems response to COVID-19 in Nigeria. Some of these are Nigeria Health Watch, APO Africa Newsroom, Federal Ministry of Health newsletter, and national media. Results: By December 31st, 2020, Nigeria had 70 free laboratories controlled by the government. These comprised 31 federal laboratories, 30 state, 3 military, 2 Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), 2 UN and 2 private labs. In 2019, Nigeria's IHR score at point of entry 1 & 2 was 3 and 1. Routine capacities established at points of entry was improved, however, effective public health response at point of entry, remained the same. Which supports the low response capacity of the country. Nigeria's average score across the JEE 2019 had increased to 7% (from 39% in 2017 to 46% in 2019) - four new indicators and 20 indicators with improved scores from 2017. Conclusion: Nigeria's health system response and capacity to handle COVID-19 is quite poor and grossly inadequate. There is a need to increase the number of health workforce in the country and institute adequate accountability mechanisms to ensure prudent and focused management of health funds