Linkages between responses to the available amenities and expressed environment-related health needs in international refugee camp, Oru-Ijebu, Nigeria

Abstract

This study investigated the relationship between the refugees' responses to the available amenities and the expressed health needs that are environment-related. Subjecting the data obtained from the refugees in Oru-Ijebu international refugee camp, Nigeria to analysis, a link between the adequacy level of existing environmental amenities and environment-unfriendly behaviour exhibited by the refugees, producing conditions that favour diseases was established. Similarly, a very high degree of relationship was found between the environment produced by refugees' responses and the expressed health needs of the refugees as revealed by the records of the diseases treated in the camp's health centre over a five year period. The study concluded that the need to provide adequate amenities and enforce environmental sanitation rules and regulations cannot be overemphasized. Furthermore, environmental education and enlightenment programs should be introduced in all the different phases of a camp's development. © 2010 WIT Press.