CHAPTER ONE
Introduction
1.1 Background of the Study
Health is the most essential ingredient of life, deny man of that, he remains impotent in life. People do not value their good state of health until they have experienced one form of sickness or another.
However, as it is being said that health is wealth, issues of health has overwhelmed our daily comments since revolution of science.
According to records, sickness of various kinds has endangered the life of various citizens of Nigeria before, during and after the reign of colonial masters. Even at present people of Nigeria among other developing countries sign our detriment of sickness especially communication diseases like syphilis, AIDS etc.
On the other hand, communication system during the era was at its functional stage. The people of the third world countries rely on local communication for their exchange of ideas. The use of metal and wooden gong gun shots and smokes do not impact much information to people and some knew they are selective in nature and health messages are retarded.
Communication came and persisted in its function to enthrone philosophers and scientists quest to standardize the health welfare of people, communication has modernized people of the Third World and made their embrace changes in their health environment. One would say that since the advent of modern communication system, health issues have embraced a new and prosperous era in the society.
Communication functions to educate, inform and enculturete the people on the novel Medicare. Since then, the policy of health has been a dynamic ongoing process, less academia would ask mullion question on the immunization programmes since 10
sickness has been pervasive, government, non-governmental organization and individual are to fight it to a stop through the media.
Just as communication is indispensable in any human activity, Nigerian Television Authority as a broadcasting medium nearest to Ugwuoji community is very vital to the sensitization of the rural areas or a large, heterogeneous people for any activity that is of interest to them.
The importance of communication in our daily lives cannot be over-emphasized. Communication is central to human existence and all human activities that it will be hard for any person, group, institution or any nation to neglect it in their economic, political, health and social lives. It is the most essential factor for building or developing an organized, united, healthy or progressive nation or society.
If N.T.A. Enugu does not play any role on improving rural health care services, there will be no effective solution to rural health problems especially on preventing the most rampant sickness which is malaria in the rural area.
Based on the facts above, one can say that in any communication through television should occupy a key position in the interest of this research. The improvement of the rural health care services is one of the cardinal objectives of the Nigerian government since the nation’s independence. In suggesting a plan or a design for a health care system of the rural area in Nigeria, government planners are ever conscious of a feeling that they are working in “in vacuo”. This is due to the lack of extensive and detailed factual information as regards the state of the existing health care services which also have relevance to the needs of the communities. They are designed to serve, but should also be with the resources of the states of the nation concerned. Hence it would be to assume the existence of adequate financial support, manpower of various kinds and physical facilities, including equipment and suppliers. 11
In addition it would be illogical to ignore the existence of administrative and operational structures, which will be to ensure adequate and timely logistic support.
It is almost impossible to design a system of health care service which is applicable to every rural area in Nigeria in view of the different socio-economic conditions. Each state or local government thus have to assess the available alternatives, consider its own problems and then decide on priorities and organization. This assessment may result in changing or modifying an existing system or even involving new concepts. It is, however, important to state that Nigeria is developing rapidly and modernizing at the same time, and it should be realized fully that health care can help or hinder such process. Health care services in Nigeria are very inadequate and disease is treat to the efficiency of the population. This threat is nowhere more glaring than on rural areas, where very little has been done to ascertain the rural needs of the people and to plan to meet them with available resources. Expenditure on health in Nigeria has therefore, so far failed to cover the essential actions necessary to provide for the basic health needs of the greater proportion of the people.