Impact of NHIA On Immunization Rates and Antenatal Visits in Nigeria (Published)
Preventive healthcare, especially immunization and antenatal care (ANC), remains essential for improving maternal and child health outcomes in Nigeria. Despite past public health interventions, access to these services has been inconsistent and unevenly distributed. The transition from the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) to the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) under the 2022 Act was introduced to improve service coverage and remove financial and structural barriers to Universal Health Coverage (UHC). This study explores the impact of the NHIA on the uptake of preventive healthcare, particularly immunization and ANC services.A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, involving 600 women of reproductive age (15–49 years) who had delivered within the past two years. A multistage sampling technique was used to ensure representativeness. Data were collected using structured questionnaires and interviews with health workers. Quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS version 26.0, while qualitative responses were examined thematically. Ethical approval was obtained, and participation was voluntary. Following the implementation of NHIA, full childhood immunisation coverage increased from 58.4% to 72.9%, while the proportion of pregnant women who had four or more ANC visits rose from 64.1% to 80.2%. Awareness of health insurance schemes grew from 49.6% to 76.3%, and actual enrollment increased from 39.2% to 66.5%. Higher uptake was observed among women with formal education, salaried employment, and those living in urban areas. The findings suggest that NHIA has positively influenced access to preventive healthcare services in Nigeria. The removal of out-of-pocket payments and broader insurance coverage contributed to improved utilization. However, disparities remain in rural communities and among women with little or no formal education. These patterns indicate the need for targeted strategies that address geographical and socio-economic inequalities in access to care. The NHIA has shown early success in enhancing immunization and ANC service uptake. These improvements indicate that health insurance reform can be an effective mechanism for promoting preventive care and advancing UHC. Nevertheless, persistent barriers such as low awareness in rural areas, cultural influences, and infrastructure gaps must be addressed. Strengthening grassroots health education, incentivizing rural health worker retention, and implementing inclusive policies will be critical to ensuring that the NHIA achieves its full potential.
Keywords: Immunization, NHIA, Nigeria, Rates, antenatal visits
Community Pharmacists, Participation In Immunization Services in Cross River State, Nigeria. (Published)
Community pharmacists’ participation in providing immunization services is pivotal to expanding access to immunisation services especially in resource-constraint settings and bridging the existing gap in shortage of skilled service providers. Although there are several studies conducted on pharmacy–based immunization, the findings of such studies varies between countries and depends on the pharmacy practice characteristics of the area. Objective: The general objective of the study is to assess the extent of participation of Community Pharmacists in immunization services in Calabar Metropolis, Cross River State, Nigeria. Method: A descriptive cross sectional study design was used for the study. Data were collected using a pre-tested semi-structured questionnaire from 68 community pharmacists which were selected using the purposive sampling technique. Data generated were synthesised and analysed using SPSS (version 20.0) and results were presented in frequency tables and charts. Chi-square and Fisher Exact test was used to test for association between variables at 0.05 alpha level. Results: The result showed that 43 (69.4%) respondents were males, 49 (79.0%) were less than 40 years of age, 36 (58.1%) have been in practice for between 1-5 years and 53 (85.5%) had B.Pharm as the highest qualification. Most respondents 60 (97 %) provided at least one type of immunization service to the public and the vaccines commonly retailed were Tetanus Toxoid 57 (91.9%), Rabies vaccine 36 (58.1%) and Hepatitis B vaccine 9 (14.5%). Majority of the respondents 58 (94.0%) were willing to be more involved in providing immunization services. The immunization services respondents were willing to provide more were mainly educating clients on immunization 42 (67.7%), administering vaccines to clients 40 (64.5%) and engaging in mass campaign on immunization 38(61%). The association between the number of pharmacist in CPs (p = 1.000, fisher’s exact test,) and years of practice (p = 0.149, fisher’s exact test) were statistically not significant to the willingness of the community pharmacists to participate in immunization services. Conclusion: The inclusion of community pharmacists in advocacy, education and facilitation of immunization is critical to improving and expanding immunisation services to the underserved populace
Keywords: Calabar metropolis., Immunization, community pharmacist, community pharmacy, vaccine
Sociocultural Factors as Predictor of Immunization Participation among Rural Mothers of Waterside in Ogun State, Nigeria (Published)
Active Immunization Coverage in the rural community of Ogun Waterside have been perceived to be bedeviled by several factors ranging from geographical to demographic issues limiting accessibility to health care. The study looked into those factors that prevented and distorted complete uptake of Immunization in the rural location of waterside. The study was conducted in eight wards of the Local Government Area. Descriptive survey research design with qualitative method was adopted. SFIIPQ: R = 0.78, CFPIPQ R = 0.810, AUPIPQ: R = 0.93 and MMFPIPQ: R = 0.88 were the instrument used to glean data. The study revealed that cultural factors of living style, health seeking behavior and values are 59.0% of the total variation (R2 = 0.587, P < 0.05). Also, the social variables of peer influence, parenting style, socioeconomic status, level of education and sex of the child accounted for 55.0% of the total variation (R2 =0.550, P <0.05). Mothers reported that sometimes, vaccines are not available in the right quantity. Conclusively, immunizations in the local community of waterside is fairly good as reported but require more education, supply of adequate vaccines and provision of active cold chain facilities.
Keywords: Immunization, Participation, rural mothers, vaccines, waterside