Healthcare Access in the Niger Delta: Challenges and Coping Mechanisms

Abstract This paper explored healthcare access in the Niger Delta, including challenges and coping strategies. This research was informed by three questions: what is the degree and trends of healthcare access, what are the key structural, socio-economic and environmental factors that impede effective healthcare access, and what are the coping and adaptive mechanisms of individuals and households with limited access to healthcare services. The study was analytically based on the Social determinants of Health (SDH) theory, which focuses on the role played by the environment and socio-economic status in determining health outcomes. A descriptive survey research design was used. Structured questionnaires and in-depth interviews were used to collect primary data, and journals, textbooks, and institutional reports were used to gather secondary data. The research involved three purposively sampled states, which included Rivers, Bayelsa, and Delta, with six Local Government Areas and twelve communities sampled using a mixture of simple and purposive sampling. The Taro Yamane formula was used to determine a total of 390 respondents. Expert validation and Cronbach's alpha testing were used to determine validity and reliability. Descriptive statistics and thematic content analysis were used to analyze quantitative and qualitative data, respectively. Results obtained show low access to healthcare, which is indicative of low facility access, low use, insufficient health personnel, and high cost of healthcare. The significant obstacles were poor infrastructure, poverty, a shortage of workforce, and environmental degradation due to oil spills and pollution. Some of the coping strategies were the use of traditional medicine, selfmedication, delayed hospital visits, and family support systems. The research concludes that structural, economic, and environmental restrictions are intertwined in terms of their influence on healthcare access in the Niger Delta. It recommends, among others, that the government at all levels be empowered to intensify and increase the primary healthcare infrastructure and workforce in rural communities.