Nigerian Public Health Problems
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The purpose of this research is to examine public health problems in Nigeria. Specifically, this research explains the following: (1) how malaria and measles are or are not public health problems in Nigeria; (2) how nutritional deficiencies, and cultural and agricultural practices influence public health problems in Nigeria; (3) what needs to be done to eradicate malaria and measles in Nigeria; and (4) what can be done to improve the country's health care system. MALARIA AND MEASLES AS PUBLIC HEALTH PROBLEMS Malaria "is the world's most important infectious disease, affecting more than a hundred million people each year. In some areas, it kills nearly 10 percent of the population in childhood" (Diamond, 1989, p. 8). Malaria, along with blindness,l yaws, leprosy, sleeping sickness, and worm infections are major public health problems in Nigeria (Paxton, 1989). Measles is an acute, contagious viral disease (Schoenbaum, 1985). Infestation of the disease is caused by tapeworms, which may be spread by livestock. While measles is a public health problem in Nigeria, it is not a problem of the scope and significance of the type posed to the country by malaria and the other diseases indicated above. NUTRITIONAL DEFICIENCIES, CULTURAL AND AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES, AND PUBLIC HEALTH IN NIGERIA Most tropical diseases are endemic in Nigeria (Paxton, 1989). Agricultural practices involving the handling of livestock contribute to the spread of diseases throug
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he creation of nearly unlivable areas, which could result in a severe shortage of workers in areas where industrial operations are located.
2. Implementation of an intensive program for the elimination and prevention of groundwater contamination could result in the following:
a. Elimination of thousands of jobs.
b. Elimination of some industries.
c. Lowered levels of supply for some products.
d. Expenditure of massive amounts of money for clean-up and enforcement activities.
In the political context, the implications must be considered on both a short-term and a long-term basis. In the short-term, the loss of jobs, loss of industries, and high program costs are factors which will often outweigh the potential long-term effects of groundwater contamination. Thus, for most politicians and public administrators, short-term expediency may be expected to prevail over long-term imperatives.
Once the effects of groundwater contamination begin to be manifested in the forms of shortages of fresh water, increased incidence of disease, new forms of disease, food supply shortages, and so forth, however, the political outlook of the general public will shift. Unfortunately, however, this shift will occur over the long-
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Some common words found in the essay are:
CARE SYSTEM, NIGERIA Nigeria, Texas Nigeria's, Environmental Quality, United Nations, Davis Wood, Nigeria Paxton, World Bank, Nigeria Specifically, HEALTH Malaria, public health, ground water, groundwater contamination, ground water contamination, water contamination, water supplies, environmental protection, health nigeria, public health nigeria, fresh water, environmental health, industrial operations, protect purity water, purity water supplies, legislation protect purity,
Approximate Word count = 1994
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page)
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