COMMUNICABLE DISEASES AMONG PRIMARY SCHOOL PUPILS

Abstract

This project work was designed to find out the communicable diseases among primary school pupils in Oredo Local Government Area. Communicable diseases are very common among primary pupils. Communicable diseases could be contacted and have effects in primary school pupils, which may include deformity and poor academic performance. Immunization can be used to control the spread of communicable diseases among school pupils.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Background of the study

In this era of technological advancement, there is a possibility for a fast association of knowledge in all fields of human endeavors. The health care delivery system of Oredo Local Government is being geared towards aligning with the national goal on “health for all”. One way of achieving this goal is through the education of primary school pupils on better health care. This is certainly one of the domains of physical and health education. Health education is designed for primary school level to educate the pupils about common diseases in our immediate environment and their prevention.  Also health education can also bridge the gap, reduce some of our environmental hazards for the welfare of every citizen. It is well known that children are exposed to various hazards of communicable diseases, it is necessary to guide the children from these diseases. Therefore, the teacher should be very much concerned with the health welfare and survival his pupils. Communicable diseases in the past have been “endemic” and now it has become “sporadic” because of the awareness of this study. As the name implies communicable disease is derived from the combination of two words, communicable and disease. Communicable is an illness that can be in exchanged, share, transmit or imparted.  Disease is an unfavourable condition of an organism caused by micro-organisms as a result of illness, disorder of the body or mind. Communicable diseases are sometimes referred to as infectious diseases. They are the diseases which are communicated from one person to another or from animals to man through personal contacts like air, water, dust or the use of personal belonging or families. The communicable diseases that are common in pupils in primary schools include; chicken pox, measles, cholera, whooping cough, typhoid, tuberculosis, craw-craw, poliomyelitis (infant paralysis). The research is intended to carry out the overview of communicable diseases among primary school pupils. It is also intended to give useful advice and suggestions to teachers in primary school in particular on how to prevent the spread of these communicable diseases among the pupils in primary school in Oredo Local Government Area.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

This research intends to carry out an overview of communicable diseases among primary school pupils in Oredo Local Government Area as a case study the researcher intend to do this under the following statement of problems.

1. a)   Are communicable diseases common among primary pupils in Oredo Local Government Area?
2. b)   Do the pupils in Oredo Local Government Area learn in a dirty environment that will lead to the spread of communicable diseases among them?
3. c)   Are the pupils and the teachers aware of the prevalence of communicable diseases in the primary school in the local government area?
4. d)   Does over population in primary schools lead to the spread of communicable diseases among students?

OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

The objectives of writing this project are as follows;

1. a)   To identify the communicable diseases that is prevalent in primary schools in Oredo Local Government Area of Edo State.
2. b)   To find out the effects of communicable diseases on the pupils and the society at large.
3. c)   To outline the various causes of the diseases.
4. d)   To eradicate and control the diseases among primary school pupils in Oredo Local Government Area of Edo State.
5. e)   To examine the nature and scope of communicable diseases.

RESEARCH HYPOTHESES

For the successful completion of the study, the following research hypotheses were formulated by the researcher;

H₀: there are no effects of communicable diseases on the pupils and the society at large.

H₁: there are effects of communicable diseases on the pupils and the society at large.

H₀²: there is no nature and scope of communicable diseases.

H₂: there is nature and scope of communicable diseases.

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The importance of this study cannot be overemphasized.

1. a)   The study would also be of great help to the ministry of health and the government whose objectives of primary health care are preventive health and gradual eradication of these communicable diseases.
2. b)   It will help the teachers and the pupils to be aware of the commonest communicable diseases in Oredo Local Government primary schools with the view of preventing their spread.
3. c)   It helps the teachers to prevent a crowdy classroom in order to give room for ventilation.
4. d)   It helps the teachers to care about the health of the students and to know how to treat the infected pupil.
5. e)   It helps in continuous training of teachers on disease control.

1.6 SCOPE AND LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

 The study is exclusively limited to the effects of common communicable diseases on the educational attainment of primary school pupils in Oredo Local Government Area of Edo State. It is possible to cover all communicable diseases within a short time, consequent upon this, the study is limited to the following diseases; measles, ringworm, and cholera. . The researcher encounters some constrain which limited the scope of the study;

a) AVAILABILITY OF RESEARCH MATERIAL: The research material available to the researcher is insufficient, thereby limiting the study

b) TIME: The time frame allocated to the study does not enhance wider coverage as the researcher has to combine other academic activities and examinations with the study.

c) Organizational privacy: Limited Access to the selected auditing firm makes it difficult to get all the necessary and required information concerning the activities.

1.7 DEFINITION OF TERMS   

The following terms were used in this research work, many have different meaning to many people in different fields but for the purpose of this study. The meanings of these terms are as follows

Communicable diseases: They are the diseases which are passed from one person to another through water, air, dust etc.

Non-communicable diseases: These are diseases that cannot be spread through personal contact, water, dust, air, etc.

Immunity: This is the ability or power possessed by children to resist infection.

Dehydration: This is loss of water and dissolved salt from the body.

Immunization: This is a form of disease prevention involving the injection of a vaccine or an antiserum into the body of an organism in other to protect the organism from attack by a disease.

Vaccination: This is a form of disease prevention involving the administration of antigenic vaccine to stimulate the immune system of an individual to develop adaptive immunity to a disease.

Lumps: This is an infectious disease characterized by the swelling of the neck and the cheek due to the inflammation of the parotid glands at the junction of the neck and the lower jaws.

 1.8 ORGANIZATION OF THE STUDY

This research work is organized in five chapters, for easy understanding, as follows

Chapter one is concern with the introduction, which consist of the (overview, of the study), historical background, statement of problem, objectives of the study, research hypotheses, significance of the study, scope and limitation of the study, definition of terms and historical background of the study. Chapter two highlights the theoretical framework on which the study is based, thus the review of related literature. Chapter three deals on the research design and methodology adopted in the study. Chapter four concentrate on the data collection and analysis and presentation of finding.  Chapter five gives summary, conclusion, and recommendations made of the study

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