The Effect Of Poverty And Access To Health-care

1.3 JUSTIFICATION  

Out-of-pocket payment for health care by households has been estimated by several studies and estimations to have contributed between 64 and 70 percent of health care financing in Nigeria and has largely contributed to the inability of households to access adequate and desirable health care be it in the public or private1. This unfortunate situation has not only contributed to the high morbidity and mortality but has also impoverished many households. 

The National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) introduced to alleviate this high out-ofpocket expenditure on health is still not accessible by majority of those in the informal sector and the probability of reaching these sets of Nigerians in the nearest feature seems more of mirage than reality. It is in view of the urgent need to finding solution(s) to these challenges that calls for the necessity for an alternative, at least for now. Community Health Organization (CHO) and other forms of health insurance that are almost in nonexistence need to be explored with the aim of establishing a less-burdensome health care payment mechanism for households in Keffi. 

1.4 RESEARCH QUESTION 

Does poverty incidence significantly affect household access to health care?  

1.5 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES  

General objectives

To determine the level and frequency of poverty incidence on health care among households in Keffi

Specific objectives 

1. To determine the source of household financing for health care. 

2. To quantify the proportion of household income spent on health  care 

3. To measure the perception of household on the best method of payment for health care services. 

1.6 SCOPE OF THE STUDY 

This study assessed poverty incidence by health households in Keffi municipal area of Keffi Local Government Area of Nasarawa State. 

1.7 LIMITATIONS 

The absence of proper house numbering, inadequate ward and district population figures, made the sampling method rather cumbersome. Some findings of test statistics could not be subjected to test of statistical significance because of multiple roles and columns. Inadequate fund was also a limiting factor as it was the major reason the study could not cover more than a town in the state.