In this blog post, I will be discussing some key determinants of malaria in Nigeria.
Malaria in Nigeria. as in many other countries, cannot be attributed to a single cause. Numerous determinants, including biological, socio-cultural, economic, and environmental, cause and contribute to this deadly infectious disease in Nigeria. The gender inequality in Nigeria is a social determinant of malaria. Nigerian women are more likely to be poor, uneducated, and without political power compared to Nigerian men due to gender discrimination in the country. Therefore, there is a neglect of women's health and this leads to potential problems in the infant developmental process. Thus, Nigerian women, especially pregnant mothers, are at an increased risk of having untreated malaria due to this gender discrimination. Another social determinant of malaria in Nigeria is the barriers to health care access. This may include lack of money, transportation, and conflicting cultural and religious beliefs. Education is another social determinant of malaria in Nigeria. Only 68% of all Nigerians are educated, implying that many Nigerians are not aware of the implications of malaria and the preventive measures available. Biological determinants of malaria in Nigeria include genetic susceptibility. Many Sub-Saharan Africans lack what is called a Duffy blood factor, which is an important mechanism that can limit parasite growth in the red blood cells. Without this protective mechanism, many Nigerians are not protected against severe diseases such as malaria. Also, the parasites that cause malaria are especially resistant to antibiotics, making treatment very difficult with drugs. An environmental determinant of malaria in Nigeria is warm temperature and high rainfall in the country. Mosquitos tend the thrive in sub-tropical/tropical areas, which makes Nigeria a very good mosquito breeding area. Also, human engineering projects destroys the natural terrain, and this favors increased mosquito breeding by creating new breeding sites. Poverty is an economic determinant of malaria. A striking 70% of Nigerians fall below the poverty line. Therefore, many Nigerians cannot afford the preventive measures such as bednets and insecticide sprays. Malaria is also a cause of economic burden because when a family member catches the disease and falls ill, he or she cannot go to work and make money for the family.
1.http://www.who.int/social_determinants/country_action/NIGERIA%20Dr%20ADETUNJI%20Labiran.pdf
2.http://origem.info/FIC/pdf/Breman%20et%20al%20Ears%20Hippopotamus_AJTMH%2001.pdf
3.http://www.rbm.who.int/cmc_upload/0/000/015/330/415680a_r.pdf
4.http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/economies/Africa/Nigeria-POVERTY-AND-WEALTH.html
This looks ok, but just make sure that you have evidence backing every determinant (and that evidence must suggest or show a link between that determinant and malaria). Also, remember that in your paper a bibliography as you have here is not enough, and you must also include endnotes for specific statements/sections.
ReplyDeleteOne more thing: I'm not familiar with the Nations Encyclopedia, and I couldn't figure out what organization ran that website. Unless it is run by an organization that you can trust to have accurate information, avoid using "encyclopedia"-like websites in your papers. They may be adequate for the general public or if you just want to quickly look something up for yourself, but they are not acceptable as sources for academic or scholarly work.