Primary Healthcare Delivery in Rural Areas of Nasarawa State, Nigeria: Accessibility Survey

ABSTRACT : Majority of the over 200 million Nigerians live in the rural areas andare affected by a number of preventable diseases which impact on the socio-economic activities and the general standard of lives of the people (NPC, 2020; NBS, 2019; UNDP, 2019).However, the bias in the distribution of health facilities against the rural areas which started during colonial days still persists. The aim of this study is to examine the level of health servicesavailable and its cost to Primary Healthcare(PHC) users in the rural areas.In view of the above, the study focuses on accessibility survey (availability and affordability) of healthcare delivery to the rural users in Nasarawa State, Nigeria.The study uses Donabedian Model of healthcare system as a framework of analysis to demonstrate the weak and fragile nature of Nigeria health system and institutions where providers of healthcare emphasizes the need for cost–benefit driven planning as successive healthcare delivery for some years in Nigeria depends mostly on market driven strategies. The study relies on Primary and secondary data as well as quantitative analysis to explain the implications of market driven policy approach and implementation of primary health care delivery to the rural users. It shows that healthcare system aimed at the provision and promotion of health services, especially of the vulnerable groups has largely been ineffective. The most vulnerable groups find it difficult to access health services because of it cost and unavailability. The majority of (vulnerable) citizens, mostly in rural and difficult communities suffers and dies of common, preventive and treatable diseases as a result of the inability to access basic healthcare. The study therefore recommends the implementation of a healthcare system based oncontinuous social programs that ensures improvement in access to healthcare through an insurance scheme that covers all segment of citizens in order to on improve maternal and child mortality rates which will alsoenhance the socio-economic wellbeing of the rural people.
Keywords: Accessibility, Healthcare,Primary Healthcare, Rural Areas.