Community health practice in nigeria – prospects and challenges

Community health practice refers to provision of health care services, aimed at early diagnosis of disease, recognition of environmental and occupational hazards to good health and prevention of disease in the community. The Community is seen as the hub of Community Health Practice. It is the essential laboratory for practice of teaching, training and research in the subject of community medicine/health. The idea of the community as the centre of health services delivery was advocated as far back in 1960s. From the concept of Basic Health Services, Primary Health care emerged. In this regard, the principle of health services in relation to availability, accessibility, acceptability and appropriateness became important considerations in WHO health policy from the late 1960s and into the 1970s. The goal of Primary Health Care (PHC) was to provide accessible health for all by the year 2000 and beyond. Unfortunately, this is yet to be achieved in Nigeria and seems to be unrealistic in the next decade if the basic essence of the Universal Health Coverage – making health care accessible, available and affordable to rural poor is ignored to whatever extent. This work seeks to examine some cross cutting issues in community health practice in Nigeria and to outline triggers for community oriented health manpower in Nigerian health system and some prospects in the midst of obvious challenges. Essentially, community health practice using the policy and principles of Primary Health Care in Nigeria, especially in rural communities have come a long way and still require more to be done to achieve the goal for health for all now and beyond