Assignment task:
Reply to this discussion post as a classmate..
Nigeria is the most populous black nation in Africa, with many natural resources and a beautiful environment. There are more than 250 ethnic groups and different languages, including Hausa, Yoruba, and Igbo, the three main languages.
The official language of Nigeria is English because the British colonized them. Its economy is based largely on petroleum production and agriculture.
One infectious or chronic disease of public health concern in Nigeria is malaria. Malaria currently accounts for nearly 110 million clinically diagnosed cases per year, 60% of outpatient visits, and 30% of hospitalizations in Nigeria alone (Onyeneye, 2013). The epidemiology triangle of this disease is highly dependent on the interactions between the parasites (mosquito), host (humans), and the environment. Malaria is commonly transmitted by the bite of an infected female anopheles mosquito and also through blood transfusion. These infected mosquitoes carry plasmodium parasites that are spread to humans through the saliva of mosquito bites into the bloodstream. Human populations affect mosquito habitats and breeding patterns through urbanization. The urban areas are overpopulated, favorable to mosquitoes that pose health risks to humans and livestock. People who have malaria feel very sick with high fever, headache, and chills. The environment is also a factor. Anopheles mosquitoes flourish in regions with warm temperatures, humid conditions, and high rainfall. Also, when the environment is dirty with stagnant water, such an environment is a breeding ground for mosquitoes.
Healthcare in Nigeria is underdeveloped, expensive, and lacks modern medical facilities. The availability and accessibility of healthcare in Nigeria are concerns as most people do not have health insurance and cannot afford healthcare. The government pays little or no attention to the healthcare needs of the people as the leaders travel abroad for their healthcare services. This lack of concern for the healthcare needs of its citizens makes it expensive, and people resort to the use of herbs and home remedies, which can lead to late diagnoses of chronic diseases. Problems within the health sector stem from a lack of funding--the government allocates only 2% of the federal budget to health and poor management structures. (Hargreaves, 2002). The critical health concern is the migration of medical practitioners to other countries where they are well-paid and have the required medical facilities to work with. As a result of poor funding for the health sector, the welfare concerns of human resources for healthcare have been severely challenged, leading to steady migration of health workforce away from Nigeria and health workers seeking additional means of income earning (Adeloye et al. 2017 as cited in Agwu et al, 2020).
The socioeconomic, technological, and industrial factors have affected the health status of Nigerians in many ways. Poverty has contributed to inequality in the delivery and accessibility of healthcare. The poor funding of the healthcare system has contributed to the high morbidity and mortality rate, especially among women and children. Most people cannot afford the cost of health care, which includes medications. In terms of technology, there is the absence of telehealth medicine, which is the technology to provide healthcare services remotely. Those who stay in the villages or remote areas do not have access to healthcare and cannot afford to travel to the city for medical services.
The health risk that may be present for any foreigner who visits Nigeria at this time is that they are likely to contract malaria without the proper precautions. Malaria can make them very sick. Malaria risk is high, but you can avoid mosquito bites by wearing long-sleeved shirts and long pants and using insect repellants. Sleeping in mosquito nets and ensuring the environment is clean and clear of stagnant water and overgrown weeds will help prevent mosquito bites.
In planning care for immigrants from Nigeria, they need to know how to navigate the complicated healthcare system in the United States. I will direct them to where they can have access to resources that provide the information to enable them to know the kind of healthcare services they are eligible for. I will also consider them getting flu shots and clothes to keep them warm, especially during this cold weather, as Nigeria does not have winter weather.