Definition of the Family
The family is the most basic unit of any human social organization, comprising of the father, mother and their biological and /or adopted children. Thus, communities are composed of aggregates of families; while several communities form the states and the various states together from the nation. Thus the health and wellbeing of the nation is dependent on the health status of families.
PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED AMONG FAMILIES
The family is the most basic unit of any human social organization, comprising of the father, mother and their biological and /or adopted children. Thus, communities are composed of aggregates of families; while several communities form the states and the various states together from the nation. Thus the health and wellbeing of the nation is dependent on the health status of families.
PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED AMONG FAMILIES
The problems can grouped into:
i. Genetic Problems
ii. Environmental problems
iii. Combination of both Genetic and environmental problems.
Genetic problems: Some of the genetic problems are:
Hemoglobin SS
Down’s Syndrome
G6PD deficiency
Hemophilia
Achrondroplasia
Environmental Problems These are problems emanating from man’s total environment. The total environment can be sub grouped as follows
1. Physical environment
2. Biological environment
3. Chemical environment
4. Socio-cultural environment
5. Political environment
6. Economic environment
7. Psychological environment
8. Spiritual/religious environment
Problems may ensue from any of the above, problem may also cut a complex picture of intertwined components of the total environment. Analysis of problems as may be due to each component will make it easy to appreciate the whole picture.
Physical Environment
Land Topography and Texture
- Slope encourage erosions and washing of top soil.
- Rocky environment reduces space for farming and development
- Very flat topography leads to poor drainage system and encourage flooding
- Slope encourage erosions and washing of top soil.
- Rocky environment reduces space for farming and development
- Very flat topography leads to poor drainage system and encourage flooding
Climate
- In thick forest – land preparation for farming and development is costlier
- In Savannah forest – fire outbreak is easy especially during dry season implies destruction of crops in the farm.
- In thick forest – land preparation for farming and development is costlier
- In Savannah forest – fire outbreak is easy especially during dry season implies destruction of crops in the farm.
Seasons
In dry season there is little rain. This leads to
- Dryness and this implies fire accidents
- Drought – famine – malnutrition – susceptibility to diseases
These can serve as ventricles and vectors of disease causing organisms
- Dryness and this implies fire accidents
- Drought – famine – malnutrition – susceptibility to diseases
These can serve as ventricles and vectors of disease causing organisms
Chemical Environment
Discovery of oil in Nigeria is beneficial. It is however not without its problems like:
Oil spillage – land pollution
- Compromised land fertility and crops
- Low/no income to farmers
- Poverty
- Hunger
- Malnutrition
- Susceptibility to diseases
- Premature deaths
- Contamination of water – disease – death
Based on oil discovery, industries sprang up that lead to environmental pollution by toxic agents
- Genetic mutations
- Cancer e.g Koko village episode
Socio/Cultural Environment
There are good and bad socio/cultural practices. The bad ones lead to family and reproductive health problems:
- Gender bias
- Early marriage (Female)
This deprive females of opportunity to be educated and to be good and efficient future mothers. Those culminate in increased maternal and child morbidity and mortality.
- Female genital mutilation leads to complications like:
- Hemorrhage, severe pains
- Infections
- Low birth weight
- Increased infant morbidity and mortality
Malnutrition causes anaemia. This leads to increased morbidity and mortality especially maternal and child morbidity and mortality. In Raining Season: too much rain can cause flooding this can lead to:
- Destruction of houses and properties
- Submerged farm lands
- Family displacement] environmental pollution
- Disease susceptibility
Biological Environment
This is divisible to:
- Micro organisms
- Macro organisms
There are different types of microorganisms and the diseases they cause:
- Bacteria: cause disease like: diarrhea, vomiting, typhoid, cholera, tuberculosis, amoebiasis, pneumonias, meningitis, dipheria whooping cough,
- Viruses – cause diseases like: poliomyelitis, Hepatitis, measles, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, Rubella, plumps, Rabies, yellow fever, Rubella virus leads to genetic mutation of fetus.
- Parasites: causes – malaria, taemiasis, hydatid disease, leistimaniasis, ascariasis, hookworm infection, dracunculiasis etc.
- Macro organism is divisible to:
- Plants
- Animals
- Human
- HIV/AIDS spread – through contaminated instruments. Dislocation and fractures – because of how the child is held down.
- Acute urinary retention
- Renal problems
- Pelvic infections
- Infertility
- Haemametria
- Keloid formation
- Obstructed labour
- Bad obstetric history, post partum heamorrhage
- Sexual dissatisfaction
- Sexual promiscuity
- Disease susceptibility
- Marital instability
Political Environment
- Products of broken homes
- Juvenile delinquency
- Delinquents shootings their ways to power
- Maladministration
- Political instability
- Wars and disasters
- Failure to execute health plans
- Health programmes dies prematurely
- No community of health programmes
- No acceptable, accessible, affordable health care system
- Affects family, community and Reproductive health adversely.
Psychological Environment
Emotional stability is crucial to growth in all ramifications. All the aforementioned problems lead to environmental and social stress that predispose susceptible people to emotional instability and even psychiatric problems. When the problems persists even the non-susceptible groups are likely to reach their elastic limits. Many of the psychiatric cases are missed by less knowledgeable health workers in the community. Wrong management is applied until they eventually stumble on professionals in secondary or tertiary health institutions. Psychiatric problems in primary health care has been under estimated.
There are good and bad socio/cultural practices. The bad ones lead to family and reproductive health problems:
- Gender bias
- Early marriage (Female)
This deprive females of opportunity to be educated and to be good and efficient future mothers. Those culminate in increased maternal and child morbidity and mortality.
- Female genital mutilation leads to complications like:
- Hemorrhage, severe pains
- Infections
- Low birth weight
- Increased infant morbidity and mortality
Malnutrition causes anaemia. This leads to increased morbidity and mortality especially maternal and child morbidity and mortality. In Raining Season: too much rain can cause flooding this can lead to:
- Destruction of houses and properties
- Submerged farm lands
- Family displacement] environmental pollution
- Disease susceptibility
Biological Environment
This is divisible to:
- Micro organisms
- Macro organisms
There are different types of microorganisms and the diseases they cause:
- Bacteria: cause disease like: diarrhea, vomiting, typhoid, cholera, tuberculosis, amoebiasis, pneumonias, meningitis, dipheria whooping cough,
- Viruses – cause diseases like: poliomyelitis, Hepatitis, measles, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, Rubella, plumps, Rabies, yellow fever, Rubella virus leads to genetic mutation of fetus.
- Parasites: causes – malaria, taemiasis, hydatid disease, leistimaniasis, ascariasis, hookworm infection, dracunculiasis etc.
- Macro organism is divisible to:
- Plants
- Animals
- Human
- HIV/AIDS spread – through contaminated instruments. Dislocation and fractures – because of how the child is held down.
- Acute urinary retention
- Renal problems
- Pelvic infections
- Infertility
- Haemametria
- Keloid formation
- Obstructed labour
- Bad obstetric history, post partum heamorrhage
- Sexual dissatisfaction
- Sexual promiscuity
- Disease susceptibility
- Marital instability
Political Environment
- Products of broken homes
- Juvenile delinquency
- Delinquents shootings their ways to power
- Maladministration
- Political instability
- Wars and disasters
- Failure to execute health plans
- Health programmes dies prematurely
- No community of health programmes
- No acceptable, accessible, affordable health care system
- Affects family, community and Reproductive health adversely.
Psychological Environment
Emotional stability is crucial to growth in all ramifications. All the aforementioned problems lead to environmental and social stress that predispose susceptible people to emotional instability and even psychiatric problems. When the problems persists even the non-susceptible groups are likely to reach their elastic limits. Many of the psychiatric cases are missed by less knowledgeable health workers in the community. Wrong management is applied until they eventually stumble on professionals in secondary or tertiary health institutions. Psychiatric problems in primary health care has been under estimated.
Religious Environment
About seventy five percent (75%) of illness in Africa in general and in Nigeria in particular are psychosomatic majority of people out of wrong zeal, overzealous attitude and poverty take refuge in religious institutions wrongly when there are health problems. Fanatics reject beneficial health programmes on the basis of religious believes. Recently, Kano rejected National Immunization Day programme (NIDs).
About seventy five percent (75%) of illness in Africa in general and in Nigeria in particular are psychosomatic majority of people out of wrong zeal, overzealous attitude and poverty take refuge in religious institutions wrongly when there are health problems. Fanatics reject beneficial health programmes on the basis of religious believes. Recently, Kano rejected National Immunization Day programme (NIDs).
Economic Environment
Taking cognizance of the factors mentioned above and others that could be secondary to them, the individual economic status is bound to be depressed, hence the depression of family, community, state and national economy. Money does everything. Poverty is one of the trials that trigger off chains of health problems into a vicious cycle.
Poverty
Man Ignorance
Taking cognizance of the factors mentioned above and others that could be secondary to them, the individual economic status is bound to be depressed, hence the depression of family, community, state and national economy. Money does everything. Poverty is one of the trials that trigger off chains of health problems into a vicious cycle.
Poverty
Man Ignorance