Critical Analysis of Factors Affecting Child Health in Nigeria

This essay provides a comprehensive analysis of child health in Nigeria, examining the multifaceted factors that influence it. The introduction highlights the importance of child health and focuses on Nigeria. The essay delves into cultural, environmental, religious, political, and economic factors, evaluating their impact. It then explores major health issues like poverty, malnutrition, malaria, pneumonia, HIV, and diarrheal diseases, detailing their adverse effects on child development and future lives. The discussion is supported by research studies from various scholars and policy documents from the Nigerian government and international health organizations. The essay critically evaluates the findings of these studies, highlighting the role of policies and healthcare services in improving child health outcomes. It also discusses the national child health policies of Nigeria, focusing on objectives such as reducing mortality rates and addressing major childhood illnesses. The essay concludes by synthesizing the available literature and studies, emphasizing the interplay of political, economic, and environmental factors in shaping child health in Nigeria.

Child Health (Nigeria)

Introduction
 Children denotes the future and it is important to ensure their healthy growth
and development.
 The child health includes physical, metal and social well being.
 For the present study, Nigeria “Giant of Africa” is taken into the
consideration.

1.1 Critical discussion and evaluation on the factors that
influence child health at Nigeria
 Cultural Factors
 Environmental Factors
 Religious Factor
 Political Factor
 Economic Factor

1.2 Critical understanding on major health issues facing by
children in Nigeria impacts upon their development and
future lives
◦ The research study of anoje, aiyenigba, and chabikuli, 2012 explores
that 66% Nigerians lives below the extreme line of poverty.
◦ Nigeria is included and ranked among 13 poorest countries in entire
world.
◦ In Nigeria most of the people live in rural areas, limited access to
nutritious foods, quality health care services and education level.
◦ Only 41 % population have the access to adequate sanitation and less
than one half of entire population has access to safe water.

Cont...
 Survival of children are threatened by deficiencies in nutritions and
presences of illnesses such as malaria, ari (acute respiratory infections),
diarrhoeal disease, hiv, meningitis, vpd (vaccine preventable diseases)
and high maternal mortality and morbidity.
 The research of Rai, Singh and Singh, 2012, describes that due to
malaria disease 20% death happens in Nigeria annually in which 11%
are only children.
 Near about 250,000 of Nigerian children die from malaria disease
every year

Cont…
In contrast, Fairhead and leach, 2012 defines the lower
respiratory infections as a major reason of health issues in Nigerian
children.
Due to lower respiration track records and pneumonia mainly
affects the health of children.
The other researcher Abdulraheem, Olapipo and Amodu, 2012,
defines the HIV and diarrheal disease gives the adverse impacts on the
development of health of Nigerian children.

Cont…
• 3.1% children age of 15-18 are affected by HIV disease and 16 % child
deaths occurs due to diarrheal disease.
• 150,000 children death occurs annually due to this disease.
• Most of the died children are under the age of five .
• Disease is maie is mainly caused by poor hygiene practices and sanitation ..

Cont…
Due to meningitis at least 3% children health conditions are affected.
This type of disease affects the health of a person even after the
completion of recovery time period.
Researcher defines the sickle cell disease as a genetic disorder which
affects almost about 100,00 children.
The researcher defines that most of the children in Nigeria born with this
severe disorder.
This type of disorder affects the main body organs of people, bone pain
crisis and infraction and anemia etc.
Further, children also have the enlarged livers, spleens and leg ulcers.

1.3 Critical discussion of available research
and policy documents to support the whole
discussion
◦ There are number of research studies have conducted by different research
scholars but each and every research are based on different purpose and
objectives.
◦ All these research studies have helped in conducting the current investigation
in effective manner.
◦ Including this, government of Nigeria and other international health and
social care authorities have introduced different policies for improving health
conditions of children of Nigeria.

Cont…
Maternal and child health, 2016 has concluded that “study focuses on the human tragedy
and it has disclosed that thousands of families of Nigeria have lost their children due to
different health issues”. Study has concluded that major reason behind the death of
children in Nigeria are:
◦ Malaria
◦ Pneumonia
◦ Diarrhoea
◦ Measles and
◦ HIV/AIDS account

Cont…
◦ Along with this, Kana and et.al, 2015 has conducted a systematic review on Maternal
and child health interventions in Nigeria from 1990 to 2014.
◦ Findings of the current study has concluded that “The development of MNCH
policies, implementation and publication of interventions corresponds with the
downward trend of maternal and child mortality in Nigeria”.
◦ Therefore, this study has concluded that major reason behind the poor health of
children of Nigeria is inappropriate policies of government of Nigeria.

Cont…
In contrast, there are some research scholars which have conducted
whole investigation on different types of health and social care
services which are available in Nigeria.