Prevalence of Ailments in a Youth Camp in Southern Nigeria

Abstract

Background: The National Youth Service Corps organizes a three-week orientation course for young Nigerian graduates who graduated at less than 30 years of age from polytechnics or Universities either in Nigeria or outside Nigeria. They are sent to an orientation camp in the state of deployment. This camp brings together the graduate youths and many camp officials from several organizations. Objective: This study was carried out to assess the prevalence of diseases in NYSC camp in Delta State, southern Nigeria. Method: Case notes of all who accessed health care from the camp clinic for the 3 weeks of the orientation course were retrieved to get their demographic details, dates of presentation at the clinic and ailments. These were analyzed and frequency counts and percentages obtained for them. Results: Of the 1,249 persons that presented to the clinic, 92.2% were corps members, 50.2% were males and 92.2% were Christians. Some of the patients visited the clinic up to 3 different times. Upper respiratory tract infection was most prevalent with 30.9%, 33.3% and 22.2% prevalence for 1 st , 2 nd and 3 rd visits respectively. Uncomplicated malaria was next most prevalent ailment on camp and was also the most common associated ailment with upper respiratory tract infection. Most of the visits to the camp clinic were in the 1 st and 2 nd week of the orientation course. Conclusion: While URTI and uncomplicated malaria were the most common ailments report, there was no record of outbreak of infectious disease on the camp for the period.