Base-line village health profiles in the E.Y.N rural health programme area of north-east Nigeria

Abstract

In order to document the health profile of rural farming communities not yet reached by the EYN Rural Health programme, based at Garkida, Nigeria, four villages were surveyed by a Sheffield medical student who lived for several weeks in each village, working alongside local women. Villagers helped in separate surveys of village environment and water sources, of compound (household) hygiene, of male heads of compounds, of women of childcaring age, and of children. Stagnant rain-water ponds and widespread animal faeces litter were the main village environmental hazards and hardly any satisfactory pit latrines were seen. One person in nearly 2000 surveyed treated the drinking water. Infant mortality was estimated at 200 per 1000. Commonly reported health poblems included abdominal pain, coughs and colds, filariasis, diarrhoea, scabies, worms, blood in stool, fever, ack pain and eye infections. In each village fewer than 20% of the men and fewer than 10% of the women had received any education. Average completed family size was 6 or 7 children per woman with 3 other non- surviving children. The causes of malaria and of diarrhoea were each known by fewer than 10% of mothers in each village. About a quarter of the under fives had suffered from diarrhoea in the past fortnight, a quarter had received any immunisation and one fifth were at least mildly malnourished. One quarter of children aged 6-12 years attended school