The Impact of Flooding on the Social Determinants of Health in Nigeria: A Case for North-South Institutional Collaboration to Address Climate Issues

Abstract

Nigeria witnessed unprecedented flooding in recent times. This paper examines the impact of the flood disasters on critical social factors related to health and wellbeing ( income, housing, education, health care, safety and mental health). The authors sought information from newspapers and other sources (NEMA, WHO reports). The reports revealed massive loss of human lives and livestock, homes, property and livelihood especially in the coastal states along the bank of River Niger and Benue. Some of the states worst hit include Benue, Adamawa, Anambra, Bauchi, Kogi, Edo, Bayesa, Delta, Niger, Taraba, and Kano. The devastation caused by the floods could not be adequately contained due to infrastructural (shelters, health centers, classrooms, etc) and logistic deficiencies (inadequate personnel and  facilities) Micro and macro level interventions such as development and enforcement of land use policies; construction of mobile clinics in affected areas; mobilization/recruitment and training of multi disciplinary response teams (social workers, public health professionals, physicians, nurses, psychologists, clergy; etc.) Aside from current local responses, a well-coordinated sustainable international collaborations/partnerships among schools of social work and public health to address the social needs arising from flooding and other climate change issues in Nigeria are needed, in the spirit of North-South cooperation.

Keywords: Nigeria, Climate change, social determinants, health.