Geographical Locations - Nigeria

• (Statistical) Number of Inhabitants per Doctor: 6,537
• CIA World Factbook : Nigeria

Organisations and Networks

UN and Multinational

• WHO
  - WHO Country Profile - Nigeria
  - WHO - Tobacco control: Country Profile - Nigeria
  - WHO - Environmental Burden of Disease: Country Profile – Nigeria
  - WHO – Malaria Country Profile – Nigeria
• UNDP in Nigeria

Government

• Federal Ministry of Health

Non-Government

• African Centre for Development and Strategic Studies
  "The African Centre for Development and Strategic Studies (ACDESS) is Africa’s first truly continental think tank. It is a non-governmental, independent, non-profit-making centre for studies, research and advisory services relating to Africa’s political, economic, social and cultural development. It undertakes proactive policy-oriented research and strategic studies of critical issues on security, stability, cooperation and development in a regional and global context. ACDESS is based in Nigeria."
• Action Health Incorporated
  Action Health Incorporated (AHI) is a non-profit, non-governmental organisation dedicated to improving the health of Nigerian adolescents. For over 15 years, AHI has worked with community and opinion leaders, policy makers, parents, local and national government staff and youths to design and implement innovative and participatory projects in education, service provision and advocacy, providing models that have been adopted and expanded by government and other civil society organisations.
• Africa Regional Sexuality Resource Centre
  "The Africa Regional Sexuality Resource Center (ARSRC), established in 2003, is part of a Ford Foundation five-year grant-making initiative, "Global Dialogue of Sexual Health and Well Being" aimed at giving visibility, depth and legitimacy to the field of sexuality. The goal of the ARSRC is to promote more informed and affirming public dialogue on human sexuality and to contribute to positive changes in the emerging field of sexuality in Africa, by creating mechanisms for learning at the regional level. Activities under the initiative will focus on four of the most populous countries in Africa: Egypt , Kenya , Nigeria and South Africa."
• Fatsuam Foundation
  Founded in 1996 in Jos, Nigeria, Fantsuam Foundation is a non-profit organisation aimed at pioneering gender and youth focused micro finance and ICT services and development in rural communities of Nigeria.
• Medicine & Healthcare Africa
  Medicine & Healthcare Africa (MHA)is a private, non-governmental Medical Resource Centre devoted to the development, growth and upliftment of Medicine and Healthcare on the continent of Africa. Its focus is to support positive change in healthcare in Africa particularly through revolutionary health policies which will make our healthcare system more functional, sustainable, equitable, effective and efficient. The organisation's head office is located in Nigeria.
• Nigeria Health Care Project
  Nigeria Health Care Project is a registered charity. The project exists: to provide primary health care facilities in areas of rural Nigeria which currently have poor or non-existent services and to work with the World Church Office of the Methodist Church in Britain to form a creative partnership with Methodist Church Nigeria.

Academic Institutions

• Obafemi Awolowo University
  - College of Health Sciences
• University of Ibadan
• University of Lagos

National Policy and Related Documents

Reports, Guidelines, and Projects

• Avian Influenza Risk Perception among Poultry Workers, Nigeria
  "In Nigeria and other African countries, outbreaks caused by the Asian strain of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAI) subtype H5N1 have occurred in poultry. These countries do not have the capacity to effectively manage, eliminate, and control animal diseases, and humans generally live in close contact with poultry. Before these outbreaks (2006) in other countries, effective risk communication had reduced chances of human infection, and the effect of news media reports in reducing infection also had been reported. However, risk evaluation, perception, or communication has not been reported from Africa, where poverty, inadequate primary healthcare facilities, and nonchalant attitudes to animal diseases predominate. In this study, we report the perception of poultry workers in Nigeria to avian influenza (AI)." [Emerging Infectious Diseases, Vol. 15, No. 4, April 2009, pp.616-617]
• Decentralized Delivery of Primary Health Services in Nigeria: Survey Evidence from the States of Lagos and Kogi
  "Nigeria is one of the few countries in the developing world that has systematically decentralized the delivery of basic services in health and education to locally elected governments and community-based organizations. This study uses an extensive survey of primary health facilities and local governments in the states of Lagos and Kogi to analyze how local institutions function in practice in delivering basic health services, and to draw lessons for improving public accountability." [Development Research Group, World Bank – Africa Region Human Development Working Paper Series, June 2004]
• Impact evaluation of efforts to eliminate iodine deficiency disorders in Nigeria
  Objective: The objective of the present review is to assess the impact of universal salt iodisation in Nigeria during the last five years, with reference to some of the sentinel sites studied previously during a 1995 multi-centre study. Design, setting and subjects: The method of goitre classification by palpation was employed using the new internationally accepted method in which the classification is simply graded as 0, 1 or 2. The multistage random sampling method was used and states and local government areas were already selected by virtue of their known status for iodine deficiency disorders (IDD). Schools were randomly chosen in each local government area and children aged 8–12 years in each school were determined. A percentage of the children was then included in the study to give a sample size greater than the minimum number allotted to the school. A total of 2372 schoolchildren (1420 males and 952 females) in 11 local government areas were examined; urine samples were collected from 537 children and analysed for urinary excretion of iodine. The method known as the Sandell–Kolthoff reaction was adopted, in which the iodide in the urine samples catalyses the reduction of ceric ammonium sulphate (yellow colour) to the cerous form (colourless) in the presence of arsenious acid. The degree of reduction in colour intensity of the yellow ceric ammonium sulphate is proportional to the iodine content in the urine sample. Results: The results from this study show that the median urinary iodine excretion for this sampled population in Nigeria, drawn mostly from IDD-endemic areas, is 14.65mg dl^-1 with a mean value of 13.39mgdl^-1. Conclusion: This finding would suggest that Nigeria, in general terms, has achieved the goal of universal salt iodisation and should now focus its attention on constant monitoring in order to sustain this iodisation level. [author abstract] [Public Health Nutrition: 6(2), 169–173]
• Increase in poliomyelitis cases in Nigeria
  "Poliomyelitis has been eliminated from 3 of the 6 World Health Organization regions, including the Americas. The recently reported increase in the number of cases in northern Nigeria is a cause of concern given the spread of polio from Nigeria to many previously polio-free countries in Africa and Asia following a similar increase in 2003. As of Sept. 3, 2008, there were 612 cases of poliomyelitis reported in Nigeria, compared with 175 cases reported by that date in 2007." [CMAJ, 21October 2008, 179(9), p.930]
• Iron, Manganese and Nickel Exposure from Beverages in Nigeria: A Public Health Concern?
  Iron, manganese and nickel were analyzed using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry (AAS) in 50 beverages sold in Nigeria. Iron levels ranged from 0.020-2.460mg/l for canned and 0.020-2.090mg/l for non-canned beverages. In 95.24% of the canned beverages, iron levels exceeded the maximum contaminant level (MCL) of 0.30mg/l, while 75.86% of the non-canned beverages had iron levels exceeding the MCL. Manganese levels ranged from 0.001-0.730mg/l for canned and 0.001-0.209mg/l for noncanned beverages. 42.86% of the canned beverages had manganese levels that exceeded MCL of 0.05mg/l, while 51.72% of the non-canned beverages had manganese levels exceeding the MCL. Nickel levels ranged from 0.013-0.993mg/l for the canned and 0.009-0.938mg/l for non-canned beverages. 80.95% of the canned beverages had nickel levels that exceeded MCL of 0.10mg/l while 72.41% of the noncanned beverages had nickel levels exceeding the MCL. The sources of these contaminants are unclear and merit further investigation. [author abstract] [Journal of Health Science, Vol. 54 (2008), No. 3, pp.335-338]
• Nigeria Reproductive Health, Child Health, and Education Household, School, and Health Facility Baseline Surveys, 2007: Executive Summary
  "This executive summary reports on the findings from the 2007 Nigeria reproductive health, child health, and education household, school, and health facility midline surveys (three surveys in total)." [Measure Evaluation and USAID]
• Nigeria UNGASS Report, 2007
  "The first case of AIDS in Nigeria was reported in 1986. Since then, HIV prevalence has steadily increased from 1.8% (1991) to 5.8% (2001) and a slight decline to 4.4% (2005)... Although the prevalence rates appear low, Nigeria ranks third in terms of the actual number of people infected with HIV after India and South Africa. Wide variations in HIV prevalence have been observed across states and rural-urban localities suggesting that there are sub-epidemics within an epidemic."
• Occurrence of Listeria monocytogenes in smoked fish in Sokoto, Nigeria
  The present study was conducted to determine the prevalence of Listeria monocytogenes in smoked fish in Sokoto, Nigeria. A total of 115 different species of smoked fish from the various retail outlets and market places within the metropolis were analysed for the presence of L. monocytogenes using ISO culture method. Out of the 115 samples analysed, 29 (25%) were positive for L. monocytogenes. Other Listeria species isolated in this study are L. grayi 13 (11%), L. innocua 10 (9%) and L. ivanovi 15 (13%). The remaining 48 (42%) of the sample were negative for Listeria species. The study shows that L. monocytogenes and other Listeria species are common contaminant of smoked fish, and this may pose serious public health implications. [author abstract] [African Journal of Biotechnology, vol. 17, pp.3082-3084, 3 September 2008]
• Pattern and determinants of BCG immunisation delays in a sub-Saharan African community
  Background: Childhood immunisation is recognised worldwide as an essential component of health systems and an indispensable indicator of quality of care for vaccine-preventable diseases. While performance of immunisation programmes is more commonly measured by coverage, ensuring that every child is immunised at the earliest/ appropriate age is an important public health goal. This study therefore set out to determine the pattern and predictors of Bacille de Calmette-Guérin (BCG) immunisation delays in the first three months of life in a Sub-Saharan African community where BCG is scheduled at birth in order to facilitate necessary changes in current policy and practices for improved services. Methods: A cross-sectional study in which immunisation delays among infants aged 0-3 months attending community-based BCG clinics in Lagos, Nigeria over a 2-year period from July 2005 to June 2007 were assessed by survival analysis and associated factors determined by multivariable logistic regression. Population attributable risk (PAR) was computed for the predictors of delays. Results: BCG was delayed beyond three months in 31.6% of all eligible infants. Of 5171 infants enrolled, 3380 (65.4%) were immunised within two weeks and a further 1265 (24.5%) by six weeks. A significantly higher proportion of infants born in hospitals were vaccinated in the first six weeks compared to those born outside hospitals. Undernourishment was predictive of delays beyond 2 and 6 weeks while treated hyperbilirubinaemia was associated with decreased odds for any delays. Lack of antenatal care and multiple gestations were also predictive of delays beyond 6 weeks. Undernourishment was associated with the highest PAR for delays beyond 2 weeks (18.7%) and 6 weeks (20.8%). Conclusions: BCG immunisation is associated with significant delays in this setting and infants at increased risk of delays can be identified and supported early possibly through improved maternal uptake of antenatal care. Combining BCG with subsequent immunisation(s) at 6 weeks for infants who missed the BCG may be considered. [author abstract] [Health Research Policy and Systems 2010, 8: 1]
• Polio Vaccines difficult to swallow: The story of a controversy in Northern Nigeria
  This paper by Maryam Yahya of the Institute of Development Studies examines the Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) controversy in Nigeria, where rumours that the vaccine was part of a Western tool to sterilise Muslims prompted a boycott of the vaccine by Muslim leaders. The paper examines the roles, responsibilities and actions of global and national actors in implementing effective immunisation campaigns, including the manner in which health care issues are prioritised, managed, and financed. The author identifies sustained communication as the centrepiece of a successful immunisation campaign, something which is often neglected in immunisation budgets.
• Reproductive Health Commodity Security – Country Case study: Nigeria
  "A team of two consultants, Nel Druce (HLSP Institute) and Yomi Oduwole (Futures Group Europe) undertook [this] Nigerian case study in October 2005. The team used the standard methodology developed for the case studies, including interviews and document review. A marker group of commodities was tracked, linked to reproductive health services, including safe motherhood, STI prevention and treatment, and family planning." [Commissioned jointly by The Department for International Development and the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs; DFID Health Resource Centre, London, October 2005]
• Syphilis in Pregnant Nigerian Women: Is it Still Necessary to Screen?
  Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and HIV/AIDS are widespread in the developing countries, and constitute a major public health problem in sub-Saharan Africa. Information regarding the prevalence of Syphilis in pregnant Nigerian women is scanty from the North-eastern region of Nigeria. We therefore determined the seroprevalence of syphilis amongst pregnant women in North-eastern Nigeria. This study was a hospital-based cross-sectional study. The setting was the ante-natal clinic of the Federal Medical Centre, Yola, Nigeria, from July 2008 to December 2008. Two hundred and thirty-one consecutively recruited pregnant women were screened for Syphilis using Rapid Plasma Reagin (RPR) test. All those that were positive were confirmed using treponema pallidum haemagglutination (TPHA) test. The biodata of the patients were obtained. Written informed consent was obtained from each patient. Out of the 231 pregnant women tested, only one was seropositive for Syphilis giving an infection rate of 0.4%. This study confirms a low seroprevalence of Syphilis amongst pregnant women in North-Eastern Nigeria. [author abstract] [European Journal of Scientific Research, Vol.29, No.3 (2009), pp.315-319]
• Timeliness and Completion Rate of Immunization among Nigerian Children Attending a Clinic-based Immunization Service
  To achieve maximal protection against vaccine-preventable diseases, a child should receive all immunizations within recommended intervals. Clinic records of 512 Nigerian children were evaluated for timeliness in receiving vaccines and the completion rates of the schedule. About 30% of the children presented after four weeks of age for their first immunization; 18.9-65% of the children were delayed in receiving various vaccines compared to the recommended ages for receiving the vaccines. Only 227 (44.3%) children were fully immunized. Health education and mass mobilization of the community and health workers are recommended to improve the uptake of vaccines and to encourage timely receipt of vaccines. [author abstract] [Journal of Health, Population and Nutrition, Jun 2009; 27(3): 391-395]
• Universal Salt Iodization in Nigeria: Process, Successes and Lessons
  "The Nigerian Government launched its National Food and Nutrition Policy in November 5 2002, underscoring its determination to improve the well-being of its populace. That policy set definite targets, which included reduction of micronutrient deficiencies (principally VAD, IDD, and IDA) by 50% by 2010, and severe and moderate malnutrition among under-fives by 30%, by 2010. Since then, Nigeria’s the Health Sector has made tangible progress and achieved significant successes. Today, Nigeria is the flagship of African nations, acting on and succeeding in, mitigating the large-scale losses of brain-power and productivity caused by Iodine Deficiency Disorders (IDD). Virtually all Nigeria’s newborns are protected against the mental impairment arising from the absence of iodine, in adequate quantity, in the diet." [UNICEF]

Educational Resources

• CDC - Travel Information : West Africa
• DFID Country Health Briefing Paper - Nigeria
  The incidence of poverty in Nigeria is widespread and increasing with some of the worst poverty linked health indicators in Africa. There has been a sharp increase in poverty from 1992 to 1996, with an estimated third of the population living below $1 per day. This paper, produced on behalf of the Department for International development (DFID) by the DFID Health Systems Resource Centre (HSRC), provides a brief overview of the state of health in Nigeria and the recent changes which have taken place.
• Library of Congress Country Studies Nigeria
• Meeting the Sexual and Reproductive Health Needs of Young People in Nigeria: A Guide for Action
  "This publication sheds light on the status of adolescent sexual and reproductive health and why young people are at risk. It proposes ways through which key stakeholders including parents/guardians, educators, healthcare providers, policy makers, community and religious leaders as well as the mass media can make the difference. This book with chapters on sexual initiation, teenage pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, harmful traditional practices as well as mobilizing for action is an invaluable tool for everyone involved in adolescent health programming in Nigeria." [Action Health Incorporated (AHI)]
• Nigeria AIDS eForum
  "The Nigeria-AIDS eForum is the online, email-based news and discussion network on HIV/AIDS in Nigeria established since January 2000. It is a free-entry, free-exit arena and market place for sharing perspectives, mobilizing action, generating awareness and exchanging ideas for strengthening the common response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Africa's most populous country."
• UNAIDS/WHO Epidemiological Fact Sheets on HIV and AIDS, 2008 Update – Nigeria