Social Supports Available to Persons with Disabilities in Nigeria

Disability entails more than the mere physical deformity such as stroke; however, a disability could manifest in different forms; mental, emotional, sensory and intellectual disability among others. People with disability are faced with a lot of challenges and they experience depression, isolation and social exclusion which were explained in studies from the natural and behavioral sciences. Also, Social workers and Psychologists alike have often discussed the importance of social inclusion and social support for people living with a disability. Social support helps to reduce psychological stress, enhance the quality of life and achieve social inclusion. Lack of social support increases the risk of depression, social exclusion, maladaptive behaviors and mortality. In this paper, we will give a thorough explanation of Social support and its forms. We emphasized the influence of neurobiology, personality features, social system and perception on who gets social support and to what extent. The paper also discussed Nigeria’s perceptions of disability and the social support networks in Nigeria, using vast literature. From literature, social supports are of different kinds however, this paper emphasized the need for functional social support which entails changing negative perceptions about disability. In other words, social support should not be just assisting the individual to access their immediate needs but should entail involving them in decision making – social inclusion

Safety concerns for under-15 house helpers living with their non-biological parents in Nigeria: A call to revamp social protection strategies: Safety concern, house helpers, social protection, social worker, Nigeria

Traditionally, the Nigeria system provides different reasons why children move from their biological parents to homes of non-biological parent, older relatives, and other social networks. While it is true that any form of under-aged labour mete on a child is illegal, certain cultural and social patterns are the reasons for the promotion of this phenomenon. Common among these reasons is the lack of resources to provide care and cater for the child (ren), death of the biological parents, and/or the parent wishing the child grows under tough conditions that supposedly makes the child a responsible adult. Notwithstanding these reasons, there are concerns that have been raised pertaining to the welfare of under-aged children in this setting, as it is reported that a considerable number of under-aged children suffer abuse, humiliation and other hazards. While this practice of raising children has grown to be popular and approved by communities in Nigeria, little is said about the abusive concerns that have been fastened to the practice. This study underscores the reasons for the persistence of these abusive concerns, despite the presence of the 2003 Child Rights Act. It advocates for a revamping of Nigeria’s social protection space, signposting the relevance of social workers to such cause. Data was sourced through in-depth interview organized for 10 respondents (five parents and five house helpers). Analysis was done thematically. Themes derived from the study showed that safety concerns as regards under-aged helpers are non-existent and this increases the severity of mental, emotional and physical damages faced by the under-aged children. It is clear that there is a dire need for Nigerian government to set up and implement well-coordinated social protection measures and programmes for vulnerable children and their households. These well-coordinated social protection measures will help to keep these vulnerable children within the safety net of their family

Factors affecting the utilization of prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV services in Anambra South, Nigeria

Background: In spite huge leaps in combating the spread and transmission of HIV globally, Nigeria still ranks high in the incidence of HIV among children. The study investigates the factors affecting the utilization of prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) of HIV services in Anambra South.Data source and Method: Data from 515 HIV positive women of child bearing age were collected using a structured questionnaire. The data sets were subjected to chi square and binary logistic regression analysis.Result:  The results show that 86% of the respondents were aware of the PMTCT strategies while marital status (69.8%), age (70.7%) and place of residence (52.1%) were found to affect the uptake and utilization of PMTCT services. Conclusion: Evidence from the study drew attention to the need for government, social workers and healthcare providers to rise to their responsibilities in encouraging HIV women of reproductive age to utilize PMTCT services in order to achieve African Union Agenda 3