+44 330 818 7254Ezirigwe AN*, Ezeh CC, Obi CJ and Moneke AN
The dwindling fortunes of low and middle-income countries across the globe seem to be exacerbating the burden of diseases. The infrastructure deficit that is noticeable in the urban slums of Sub-Saharan Africa hinders efforts in combating diarrhoea, a persisting health challenge. This qualitative study aimed to assess the available infrastructure in suburban districts of Abuja and their relationship with diarrhoea occurrence in under-five years children. The study population was the under-fives in Abuja Municipal (AMAC) and Bwari (BAC) Area Councils. Available infrastructure was assessed through a pre-tested questionnaire administered to 797 mothers/ childminders of under-fives in randomly selected households. Descriptive statistics and the Chi-Square test of the association at p<0.05 was used in the analysis. Occupation of the mother/childminders and wealth quintile of the households were shown to be associated with diarrhoea occurrence. The available water resources were limited, and sanitation and hand washing services were basic. A significant relationship (p<0.05) was established between some of the independent and dependent variables excluding the source of drinking water. This study suggests that the provision of sustainable infrastructure services and critical engagement of women in environmental infrastructure policy formulation should be prioritized.
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