Water Related Diseases as a Challenge to the Implementation of Reproductive Health of Pregnant Women in Anambra State, Nigeria

摘要

A large share of total burden of diseases afflicting pregnant women in Nigeria which often result in maternal mortality is closely associated in some way with the absence of water in terms of insufficient quantities or unacceptable quality. It is in this regard that this paper assesses the Challenges of water related diseases to the implementation of the reproductive health of pregnant women in Anambra State. The objectives are to determine the contribution of identified water related diseases to the mortality of pregnant women and establish their spatial structure in 21 Local Government Areas of the State for a better regional understanding of the problem in different parts of the State. Data for the analysis regarding the most prevalent water related diseases and the number of maternal deaths in 42 Communities in the 21 Local Government Areas of the State were gathered with the aid of structured questionnaire. In all, 420 questionnaires were served to both public and private hospitals in the 42 randomly selected communities in the State between October, 2010 and April 2011 (the water scarcity season in the State). The data were analyzed with the aid of Multiple Regression and Cluster Analytical techniques using the SPSS program version 20 running under PC/Windows 2007. Result shows that some water related diseases isolated for the study namely; Cholera, Typhoid, Diarrheal diseases, Malaria, Gastroenteritis, Yellow fever, and Hepatitis, altogether contributed 32.4% of the total maternal deaths, out of which only malaria contributed most with 12.4%. Cluster Analysis was used to establish the spatial disposition of water related maternal deaths in the State. Based on the above findings, our policy recommendations include adequate provision of clean drinking water, improvement in general health policy of the State, training of community health workers, and the promotion of poverty alleviation programmes by the State Government.