FACTORS INFLUENCING PRIMARY HEALTH CARE SERVICE UTILIZATION AMONG WOMEN IN RURAL COMMUNITIES IN OGUN STATE NIGERIA

 

AZUH, Dominic Ezinwa^{1, 4}*, CHINEDU, Shalom Nwodo^{2, 4}, AZUH, Akunna Ebere³

¹Dr., Department of Economics and Development Studies, Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State, Nigeria, dominic.azuh@covenantuniversity.edu.ng

²Prof. Department of Biochemistry, Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State, Nigeria, shalom.chinedu@covenantuniversity.edu.ng

³Ms., Department of Business Management, Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State, Nigeria, akunna.azuh@covenantuniversity.edu.ng

^{1, 4} Covenant University Public Health and Wellbeing Research Cluster

*Corresponding Author

 

Abstract

Primary health care (PHC) accelerates timely intervention during and after pregnancy and child birth. According to Olise (2007) the strategy is meant to address the main health problems in the community providing promotive, preventive, curative and rehabilitative services. The PHC has collapsed in Nigeria due to many factors leading to the collapse of the national health system in Nigeria. The evidence include the poor health indicators such as infant mortality rate of 69.4/1000 live births, under 5 mortality rate of 108.8/1000 live births, maternal mortality among others. The situation poses a threat in the nation’s effort at achieving the SDGs. The core objective was to find out factors retarding the accessibility of primary health care services for expectant women among rural communities and to proffer policy recommendations to better health care delivery system. It was an exploratory study and covered all the 16 wards of Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area. 112 respondents were randomly selected and seven health personnel from each PHC constitute the sample size. They were interviewed through questionnaire on important factors affecting the health delivery at the grassroots and the data were collected and analyzed through SPSS. Regression analysis of selected variables showed significant relationship among basic operational necessities of PHC like availability of ambulance at the health facility (P = .000), state of road to health facility (p = .000), referral practice (P = .000), and presence of staff welfare and motivation scheme (P = .000); with respect to rating of services at the health facility among other factors inhibiting service delivery at the grassroots. The paper recommends funding, provision of infrastructure, adequate remuneration and effective awareness campaign through community involvement as a boost in health care provision in rural communities.

Keywords: Primary health care, health system, grassroots, maternal and child health, Community.