Health Deprivation in Rural Settlements of Borno State, Nigeria

Abstract

Illness and burden of diseases are manifestation of health deprivation. In rural areas, most of the diseases afflicting people are in most cases outcomes of failure of public health policy and ecological incapacity. This paper addresses these issues using Borno state as the setting. The objectives of the paper are to delineate the spatial pattern of health deprivation, and identify the coping strategies for mitigating health deprivation. Data were gathered through primary (Questionnaire administration and participatory rural appraisal techniques) and secondary (Policy documents on health, water and environment) sources. A multistage sampling approach was used to select respondents from the two ecological zones in the study area out of which 630 respondents were selected from 9 local government areas. The conclusion is that spatial disparity in health deprivation should be addressed to improve the quality of life among rural dwellers. Recommendations include advocating self-help approach to health infrastructure provision, promotion of rain water harvesting technology and involving non-government organizations in rural health issues.