THE IMPLEMENTATION OF GOVERNMENT POLICY ON CHILD SURVIVAL STRATEGIES IN ARDO-KOLA LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF TARABA STATE, NIGERIA

THE IMPLEMENTATION OF GOVERNMENT POLICY ON CHILD SURVIVAL STRATEGIES IN ARDO-KOLA LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF TARABA STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract:

The first five years of life are the most crucial to the physical and intellectual development of children and determine their potentials to learn and thrive for a lifetime. The issue of child survival is a global concern. The common causes of child morbidity and mortality are malaria, pneumonia, diarrheal diseases, preterm births complications and birth asphyxia which are preventable or treatable. This is inspite of various programmes and policies of governments aimed at addressing the problem. Studies exist on child survival strategies in Nigeria, but little or not much has been done on the factors influencing the implementation of Government policy on child survival strategies in rural areas such as Ardo Kola community. This study therefore examined the implementation government policy on child survival strategies in Ardo-Kola Local Government Area of Taraba State, Nigeria. The study examined the implementation of Government Policies on child survival strategies in Ardo- Kola LGA of Taraba State; ascertained the factors influencing the implementation of Government Policy on child survival strategies in Ardo – Kola LGA; determined the influence of mothers‘ educational background on child survival strategies in the study area and also examined possible ways of improving child health in Ardo-Kola Local Government Area. This study employed Chen and Mosley Model of child survival as theoretical framework. The research was based on descriptive survey. The study used both the probability and non-probability sampling methods in obtaining its primary data. Questionnaires were administered to a sample of 235 mothers. Purposive sampling was employed where 8 in-depth interviews were conducted for key informants in the Four (4) selected political wards in Ardo-Kola Local Government Area of Taraba State. The data collected were analyzed using frequency distribution and percentages. The findings of the study showed that majority of the respondents (82.2%) were within the age bracket of 20-34years, and 93% were married. Additionally, 79% had post-primary education, 74% were self-employed, 12.6% civil servant and 9.7% were unemployed. However the study revealed that only 15.1% of the women sampled make maternal health decisions alone, 21.9% have the decisions made by their husbands, 60.1% decide jointly with their husbands and 2.9% indicated that decisions about maternal health were made by other members of their family. Their mean monthly income was N8, 520. Immunization was mentioned as a government policy on child survival strategies. A large proportion of the women from Ardo-Kola ward (36.6%) said it was effective, while a good number of the women in Sunkani Ward (40.0%), Lamido Borno ward (44.2%) and Zango Kombi ward (43.3%) did not see immunization as being effective. The large proportion of mothers (45.1%) said that basic health services like vaccination and community outreaches are factors that influenced child survival strategies and this was found to be inadequate in Ardo-Kola ward (45.5%); while a higher proportion of the respondents said that it is very inadequate in Sunkani ward (64.0%), Lamido Borno ward (46.5%) and Zango Kombi ward (45.0%). Most women from Ardo-Kola ward (51.2%), Zango Kombi ward (65.0%), Sunkani Ward (46.0%) and Lamido Borno ward (81.4%) said government funding, policies and implementation were inadequate and a major factor that influenced child survival strategies. From the findings of the study, it was deduced that government funding, policies and implementation were inadequate and that has affected the purpose of formulating and implementing some of these government policies. This study recommended among others that, there is urgent need for more adequate funding of health programmes; thus, funds can be rechanneled from some areas that do not benefit the generality of the citizens of Ardo Kola to support health programme implementation.

THE IMPLEMENTATION OF GOVERNMENT POLICY ON CHILD SURVIVAL STRATEGIES IN ARDO-KOLA LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF TARABA STATE, NIGERIA

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