ANALYSIS OF HEALTH-SEEKING BEHAVIOR OF TUBERCULOSIS PATIENTS IN NIGERIA

Abstract

Among several forms of infectious diseases, tuberculosis (TB) cannot be exempted. Even though the treatment of TB is free in Nigeria, the costs incurred by most patients do not reveal the significance of free treatment, and this affects the behavioral pattern of TB patients as a result of the numerous visits of patients to the hospital during the treatment of TB which may or may not yield their expected result. The objective of this study is to examine the behavior of TB patients towards seeking help for their health conditions. The study focused on Kwara and Kebbi States, Nigeria. The findings revealed that most of the Tuberculosis patients were more likely to search for treatment and seek medical advice from secondary health facilities, and they sought treatment first at the out-patient services. The out-patient services are among the secondary health facilities. It is therefore recommended that there is a need for health stakeholders (private and public) to ensure primary health coverage for all patients to prevent the exclusion of certain persons from treatment. This is referred to as inclusiveness. JEL Classification Codes: A19, B10, B25, C10, C53.