IMPLICATIONS OF HEALTH WORKERS' PRACTICES ON CLIMATE CHANGE RESILIENCE: A CASE STUDY IN KADUNA METROPOLIS
1 School of Health Sciences and Technology, Kaduna Polytechnic
* Corresponding author: asmukadam@kadunapolytechnic.edu.ng
* Corresponding author: asmukadam@kadunapolytechnic.edu.ng
Abstract
Climate change is a significant threat to human health, and in response, the Nigerian government developed the
National Climate Change Policy (NCCP) as a resilience measure. It is therefore crucial for healthcare workers to
practice the NCCP to effectively apply the mitigation and adaptation strategies in the health sector, thereby
protecting the public from the adverse effects of climate change on health. This study assessed the implications
of health workers' practices on climate change resilience in Kaduna metropolis. Two research questions guided
the study. Utilizing the Leslie Kish formula, a sample size of 160 was initially determined, which was increased
to 179 for improved precision. A standardized questionnaire was administered to 185 health workers in
government-owned secondary care facilities in Kaduna metropolis. The majority demonstrated poor practice in
relation to NCCP, in the context of climate change resilience. Additionally, a statistically significant relationship
(p = 0.040) was observed between practice of the NCCP and the age of respondents. The study concluded
stressing a clear need to develop an action guide for health workers to delineate their roles in implementing the
NCCP in Nigeria effectively. This would enhance their performance in taking climate change resilience
measures, and in addressing climate change-related health challenges.
Keywords
Climate Change
National Climate Change Policy
Health Workers
Healthcare
References
- Adah R., Olusonde O., Nashon B. (2019). Heat Wave in the Context of Climate Change: A Cross Sectional Study on Awareness and Practices among Health Workers in North East Nigeria. International Journal of Research and Scientific Innovation (IJRSI) Volume VI, Issue X, October 2019 | ISSN 2321–2705
- Adedeji, Olufemi & Okocha, Reuben & Olatoye, Olufemi. (2014). Global Climate Change. Journal of Geoscience and Environment Protection. 02. 114-122. 10.4236/gep.2014.22016.
- Ademola A. Q., & Adeyinka A. A. (2018). Perception of climate change and awareness of mitigation strategies among university students in Southwestern Nigeria. Journal of Environmental and Public Health, 2018, 1 – 12. Doi: 10.1155/2018/1039764
- Al-Hanawi M. K., Angawi K., Alshareef N., Qattan A. M., Helmy H. Z., Abudawood Y., Alsharqi O. (2020). Knowledge, attitude and practice toward climate change among the health professionals in Saudi Arabia. Journal of Public Health Research, 9(4), 1817. https://doi.org/10.4081/jphr.2020.1817
- Bates M., Hunt A., Haynes R., & Ores T. (2015). Climate change and health: a systematic review of the evidence. Health & Place, 32, 156-167. Doi: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2014.11/002
- Bedsworth L. (2009). Preparing for climate change: a perspective from local public health officers in California. Environmental health perspectives, 117(4), 617–623. https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp.0800114
- Byron, L., & Akerlof, K. L. (2021). Climate and health concerns of Montana's public and environmental health professionals: a cross-sectional study. BMC public health, 21(1), 1778. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-021-11737-1
- Department of Climate Change, Federal Ministry of Environment, Nigeria (2021). 2050 Long Term Vision for Nigeria (LTV-2050). Accessed on: 28th June, 2023. Available on: https://unfccc.int/sites/default/files/resource/Nigeria_LTS1.pdf
- Dupraz, J., & Burnand, B. (2021). Role of Health Professionals Regarding the Impact of Climate Change on Health-An Exploratory Review. International journal of environmental research and public health, 18(6), 3222. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18063222
- Federal Ministry of Environment. (2021). National climate change policy (revised). Abuja: Department of Climate Change, Federal Ministry of Environment. Retrieved from https://climatechange.gov.ng/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/national-climate-change-policy-1-1.pdf
- Federal Ministry of Environment. (2013). National policy on climate change. Abuja: Department of Climate Change, Federal Ministry of Environment. Retrieved from https://climatechange.gov.ng/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/national-climate-change-policy-1-1.pdf
- Folashade B. O., Ismail T. S. (2013). Determinants of Home Delivery among Hausa in Kaduna South Local Government Area of Kaduna State, Nigeria. American International Journal of Contemporary Research. Vol. 3 No. 5; May 2013
- Francis E. E., Adunai S. S., Samuel O., Nanven A. M., Solomon J., Laura M., Kenneth O. O. (2020). Knowledge, attitude, and practice among healthcare workers towards COVID-19 outbreak in Nigeria. Heliyon, Volume 6, Issue 11, e05557. ISSN 2405-8440. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e05557
- Hafiz L., Okafor J. C., Augustine C. O., Esther C. A., Ammielshaddai C. A., Chiemelie O., Chike C. U., Animashaun B. O. (2022). The impact of talent management on the performance of employees at BarauDikko Teaching Hospital (BDTH), Kaduna, South Asian Journal of Social Studies and Economics. 27-44. 10.9734/sajsse/2022/v15i330408
- Kircher M, Doheny B M, Raab K, Onello E, Gingerich S, Potter T. (2022) Understanding the Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of Healthcare Professionals toward Climate Change and Health in Minnesota. Challenges. 13(2):57. https://doi.org/10.3390/challe13020057
- Klingelhöfer, D., Müller, R., Braun, M. et al. (2020). Climate change: Does international research fulfill global demands and necessities? Environ SciEur 32, 137. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12302-020-00419-1
- Maibach, E.W., Chadwick, A., McBride, D., Chuk, M., Ebi, K. L., &Balbus, J. (2008). Climate change and local public health in the United States: preparedness, programs and perceptions of local public health department directors. PloS one, 3(7), e2838. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0002838
- Mehrotra S., Hiatt R. A. & Fink A. (2019). Health professionals for a healthy climate: Linking knowledge, policy and actions. PloS one, 14(8), e0217702
- Ogbonna B. O., Otuu F. C. & Madueke L. (2020). Assessment of the awareness and perception of climate change among secondary school students in Port-Harcourt, Nigeria. Journal of Environmental and Public Health, 2020, 1 – 10. Doi: 10.1155/2020/6854832
- Oyekale A. S. (2018). Climate change and health challenges in Nigeria: A systematic review and policy implication. Current Environmental Health Reports, 5, 115-124. Doi: 10.1007/s40572-018-0181-3
- Pielke, R. A. (2004). What is Climate Change? Energy & Environment, 15(3), 515–520. https://doi.org/10.1260/0958305041494576
- Polivka, B. J., Chaudry, R. V., & Mac Crawford, J. (2012). Public health nurses' knowledge and attitudes regarding climate change. Environmental health perspectives, 120(3), 321–325. https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1104025
- Robert J., John M., & Joachim O. (2014). Public Trust in Physicians — U.S. Medicine in International Perspective. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMp1406707
- Ryan A. Crowley (2016). Climate Change and Health: A Position Paper of the American College of Physicians. https://doi.org/10.7326/M15-2766
- Saqlain, M., Munir, M. M., Rehman, S. U., Gulzar, A., Naz, S., Ahmed, Z., Tahir, A. H., &Mashhood, M. (2020). Knowledge, attitude, practice and perceived barriers among healthcare workers regarding COVID-19: a cross-sectional survey from Pakistan. The Journal of hospital infection, 105(3), 419–423. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhin.2020.05.007
- Stoddard J., Stocker R. & Billet S. (2018). Climate change and health: Roles for nurses. Nursing Outlook, 66(5), 469 – 476.
- The World Bank Group (2021). Climate Risk Profile: Nigeria. Accessed on: 28th June, 2023. Available on: https://climateknowledgeportal.worldbank.org/sites/default/files/2021-07/15918-WB_Nigeria%20Country%20Profile-WEB.pdf
- Tongo I., Adekola O. A. & Yusuf F. A. (2019). Assessment of climate change knowledge, attitude and adaptation among secondary school students in Osun state, Nigeria.
- Tsiga-Ahmed, F. I., Amole, T. G., Musa, B. M., Nalado, A. M., Agoyi, O. B., Galadanci, H. S., &Salihu, H. M. (2021). COVID-19: Evaluating the Knowledge, Attitude and Preventive Practices of Healthcare Workers in Northern Nigeria. International journal of MCH and AIDS, 10(1), 88–97. https://doi.org/10.21106/ijma.418
- United Nations Development Programme, UNDP. (2016). Knowledge, attitudes & practices study on climate change adaptation & mitigation in Guyana. Accessed on: 22nd of April, 2023. Available on: https://www.undp.org/sites/g/files/zskgke326/files/migration/latinamerica/UNDP-RBLAC-ClimateChangeGuyanaBB.pdf
- United Nations Development Programme, UNDP. (2016). Knowledge, Attitudes and Practice Study on Climate Change. Japan- Caribbean Climate Change Partnership Project, Belize. Accessed on: 22nd of April, 2023. Available on: https://www.adaptation-undp.org/sites/default/files/resources/knowledge_attitudes_and_practice_study_on_climate_change_in_belize.pdf
- Vishvaja S., Shweta N., Punita K., Pooja K., Adithya P. (2022). Knowledge, attitudes and practices related to climate change and its health aspects among the healthcare workforce in India – A cross-sectional study. The Journal of Climate Change and Health, Volume 6, 100147, ISSN 2667-2782. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joclim.2022.100147.
- Watts et al. (2018). The Lancet countdown on health and climate change: from 25 years of inaction to a global transformation for public health. The Lancet, 391 (10120), 581 – 630. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(17)32464-9
- World Health Organization. (2018). Climate change and health. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/climate-change-and-health
- World Health Organization. (2014). Climate change and human health: impacts, vulnerability and public health. Geneva, Switzerland.
- World Health Organization. (2021). Climate Change and Health. Accessed on: 15th of April, 2023. Available on: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/climate-change-and-health
- World Health Organization. (2008). Protecting health from climate change: Global research priorities. https://www.who.int/globalchange/publications/research_priorities_climate/en/
- Yang, L., Liao, W., Liu, C., Zhang, N., Zhong, S., & Huang, C. (2018). Associations between Knowledge of the Causes and Perceived Impacts of Climate Change: A Cross-Sectional Survey of Medical, Public Health and Nursing Students in Universities in China. International journal of environmental research and public health, 15(12), 2650. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15122650
- Yunkella F., Conteh I., Yumkella M. &Sesay S. (2017). Assessment of knowledge, attitudes and practices of health workers on climate change and health in Sierra Leone. Journal of Environmental and Public Health, 2017, 1 – 9. https://doi.org/10.1155/2017/2195280
How to Cite
ABDULHAMID, S. M., & ARRIGASIYU, Y. Y. (2024). IMPLICATIONS OF HEALTH WORKERS' PRACTICES ON CLIMATE CHANGE RESILIENCE: A CASE STUDY IN KADUNA METROPOLIS. Global Journal of Health Related Researches, 6(1), 139-152.
S. M. ABDULHAMID, and Y. Y. ARRIGASIYU, "IMPLICATIONS OF HEALTH WORKERS' PRACTICES ON CLIMATE CHANGE RESILIENCE: A CASE STUDY IN KADUNA METROPOLIS," Global Journal of Health Related Researches, vol. 6, no. 1, pp. 139-152, March 2024.