Access to healthcare is complex and varies across countries, regions, communities and individuals. The study aimed to assess the socioeconomic effects on household access to Primary Healthcare (PHC) facilities in selected riverine communities in Rivers State, Nigeria. Objectives of the study are to characterise the socioeconomic condition of households in the study area; determine the spatial distribution of PHC facilities in the study area, identify the effects of the socioeconomic conditions of households to access to PHC facilities in the selected riverine communities in the study area, and suggest appropriate policy measures to improve households access to PHC facilities and services in the study area. The study employed Mixed Methods Research (MMR) approach and sequential explanatory research design for data collection and analyses. The study employed simple random and purposive sampling techniques. A total of 400 respondents (households) were interviewed including key informants (government agencies and professionals) and Geographic Information System (GIS) was used for map analysis to show spatial distribution of PHC facilities in the study area. However, 328 questionnaires were considered valid for analysis of data. The study revealed, most of the households’ occupations are fishing, artisan and petty trading characterising low socioeconomic status. The study found PHC facilities are not evenly spatially distributed in the study area which has made households to use various available transport modes to access the facilities since the area is separated by creeks, rivers and sea. This has made travel time, distance and cost economically unfavourable to households in term of accessibility since they are relatively poor economically. The study has suggested the following recommendations including improvement of the socioeconomic status of households through education and vocational training programmes that will provide better employment opportunities, government should provide Mobile Healthcare programmes and services through water vessels and ambulances to reach remoted communities, proper study should be carried out to ascertain the population and their characteristics before locating PHC facilities for optimum utilisation, Smart Healthcare Services (SHCS) should be provided through Tele-Healthcare facilities to overcome distance and time, and government should collaborate with non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and multinational to provide Mobile Healthcare services in riverine communities to reduce challenges of accessibility and cost on households.

Socioeconomic, Access, Primary Healthcare Facilities, Riverine Communities

1) American Psychological Association (APA) (2007). Report of the APA Task Force on Socioeconomic Status. Retrieved 23th November, 2018 from http://www2.apa.org/pi/ SES_task_force report.pdf.
2) Atakiti, G., Mezgebu, Y. & Mihiretu, M.K. (2021). Healthcare Services Utilization Among Out-of Pocket Payers and Free Wavier Users in Saesie Tsaeda Emba District, Tigray Region Northen Ethiopia: A Comparative Cross Sectional Study. Rish Management and Healthcare Policy, Vol. 14.
3) Ayia E. (2018). Americans in this Region Have Longer Time to a Hospital. Washington DC, USA: Pew Research Centre.
4) Boruchovitch, E. & Birgitte, R.M. (2002). The Meaning of Health and Illness: Some Considerations for Health. Psychology Psico-USF, 7(2), 175-183.
5) Bolaji, S.A. & Samina, M. (2020). Out-of Pocket Healthcare Spending and its Determinants Among Households in Nigeria: A National Study. Journal of Public Health.
6) Bolarin, O., Adekemi, O. & Oluwatosin, A.A. (2015). Healthcare Access and Utilization Among Rural Households in Nigeria. Journal of Development and Agricultural E Economics, 7(5).
7) Claire T. (2018). A New Pew Research Center Study Finds Rural Americans Face Longer Travel Times to Hospitals and Feel They Have Lower Quality Healthcare Than Urban Residents. Washington DC, USA: Pew Research Centre.
8) Guargliardo, M.F. (2004). Spatial Accessibility of Primary Care: Concepts, Methods and Challenges. International Journal of Health Geographics, 3(3).
9) Harold, A. & Victor, L. (1996). Household Responses to Public Health Services Cost and Quality Tradeoff. The World Bank Research Observer, 11(1).
10) Liddy, C., Joschko, J., Guglani, S., Afkham, A. & Keely, E. (2019). Improving Equity of Access Through Electronic Consultant: A Case Study of an eConsult Service. Frontiers in Public Health, 7(279). DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2019.00279
11) Mpho, K. & Sanni, Y. (2020). Socioeconomic Inequalities and Determinants of Healthcare Utilization in Botswana: Decomposition Analysis. Journal of Public Health: From Theory to Practice.
12) Nwilo, P.C. & Badejo, O.T. (2006). Impacts and Management of Oil Spill Pollution along the Nigerian Coastal Areas. Administering Marine Spaces: International Issues, 119.
13) National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) (2016). General Household Survey – Panel Wave 3 (Post Planting) 2015-2016. Abuja, Nigeria: National Bureau of Statistics.
14) National Population Commission (NPC) (2018). NPC Puts Nigeria’s Population at 198 Million. Retrieved 27th December, 2019 from https://www.vanguardngr.com/2018/04/npc-puts-nigerias-population-198m/
15) National Population Commission (NPC). (1991). 1991 Population Census Report of Nigeria. Lagos, Nigeria: Federal Government Press.
16) Omirin, O.J. & Stanley, O. (2017). Transporting the Physically Challenged in Benin-City, Nigeria. African Journal for the Psychological Studies of Social Issues, 20(3), 254-271.
17) Online Nigeria (2003). Physical Setting. Retrieved 12th March, 2020 from http://www.onlinenigeria.com/links/Riversstateadv.asp?blurb=362
18) Peters, D.H., Garg, A., Bloom G., Walker, D.G., Brieger, W.R. & Rahman, M.H. (2008). Poverty and Access to Healthcare in Developing Countries. Ann. NY Acad. Sci., 1136, 161.
19) Rasanathan, K., Montesinos, E.V., Matheson, D., Etienne, C. & Evans, T. (2009). Primary Health Care and the social determinants of health: essential and complementary approaches for reducing inequities in health. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.
20) Rivers State Primary Healthcare Management Board (RSPHMB) (2014). Annual Report. Port Harcourt, Nigeria: Rivers State Primary Health Care Management Board.
21) Starfield. B. (1998). Primary Care: Balancing Health Needs, Services and Technology. New York, USA: Oxford University Press.
22) United Nations (UN) (2015). Nigeria Health ICT Phase 2 Field Assessment Findings. Washington, DC, USA: United Nations Foundation.
23) World Health Organization (WHO) (1948). Preamble to the Constitution of the World Health Organization Official Record of the World Health Organization. Presented at the International Health Conference, New York, 19th -22nd June, 1946.
24) Worldweatheronline (2019). Port Harcourt Weather Averages in Rivers State. Retrieved on 18th July, 2019. from https://www.worldweatheronline.com/port-harcourt-weather-averages/rivers/ng.aspx
25) World Health Organization (WHO) (2017). Human Rights and Health. Retrieved 12th March, 2021 from https://www.who.int
26) World Health Organization (WHO). (2006). The World Health Report: Health Systems: Measuring Performance. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization.
27) World Health Organization (WHO), (1997). The World Health Report: Making a Difference. Geneva, Switzerland, World Health Organization.
28) World Health Organization (WHO) (1947). Constitution of the World Health Organization. Chronicle of the World Health Organization, 1, 29-43.
29) WHO Regional Office for Europe (1999). Healthy Cities Planning Process: A Background Document on Links between Health and Urban Planning, EUR/ICP/CHDV 03 04 03 European Health 21 Target 13 and 14:1-43.
30) Worldometer (2021). World Population Clock: 7.9 Billion People (2021). Retrieved from 12th March, 2021 from https://www.worldometers.info>world>population>clock:>7.9>billion>people
31) World Population Review (WPR) (2021). Best Healthcare in the World 2021. Retrieved 12th March, 2021 from https://www.worldpopulationreview.com
32) Zahid, M.D., Mohammad, H., Wahid, A., Gazi, G.M., Jahangir, A.M.K., Ziaul, I., Mahabub, E.C. & Sayem A. (2021). Healthcare Utilization of below Poverty Line Population under Government Funded Health Protection Scheme in One Sub-district in Bangladesh: A Cross Sectional Study. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3,rs-141392/v1

VOlUME 04 ISSUE 05 MAY 2021