A Comparative Assessment of Access to Healthcare of People Living in Ekiti and Kogi States of Nigeria

Aim: To undertake a comparative assessment of healthcare access of people in Ekiti and Kogi States of Nigeria. This further provided hard data for health program development towards attainment of universal health coverage and health sustainable development goal.

Study Design: A comparative research design was employed using questionnaire for data collection.

Place and Duration of the Study: The study was conducted in Ekiti and Kogi States of Nigeria representing Southern and Northern parts of the nation. The fieldwork was conducted in October and December 2019.

Methodology: Multistage sampling technique was used starting from random selection of one local government area from each of the three senatorial districts in the two states. From each of the local government areas, five political wards were randomly selected from the existing number of wards. From the selected wards, equal number of 144 sampled respondents were contacted for the structured interviews to make 856 administered copies of questionnaire.

Results: Most of the respondents could identify available health care facilities in their environment. However about 70 percent patronized secondary health facilities in Ekiti State while tertiary health facilities were visited mostly in Kogi State. Costs of health care is higher in Kogi compared to Ekiti State. 49% of Ekiti have a challenge in paying for treatment compared to 69% in Kogi State while from the two states, only about 19% have health insurance coverage. Respondents in Ekiti State experience strike actions of health workers than those in Kogi State. On appropriateness, Ekiti state has better scores while Kogi State has better score in acceptability.

Conclusion: Pronounced challenge to healthcare access is unaffordability of health care as a result of very low health insurance scheme coverage in the two states through Ekiti State has better indicators of quality healthcare.