Exploring Healthcare Workers’ Awareness and Frontline Preparedness for Managing Flood-related Health Challenges in Bayelsa State, Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Floods pose severe public health threats that require urgent and effective health system response preventing and managing outbreak of diseases. Globally, there is an increased incidence of climate-related emergencies such as wildfire, flooding and heat stress. Certain countries do not have the resources to manage public health emergencies such as the Low- and Middle-income Countries LMICs, and as such, early preparedness is required to mitigate the consequences of climate-related emergencies in similar settings. To obtain such interventions, healthcare providers must be aware of possible flood-related health risks and be ready to curtail them. Methods: A descriptive analytical study was conducted among 367 health workers employed in general hospitals across Bayelsa State. Data were collected using a structured, self-administered questionnaire that contained information on their knowledge of flood-related diseases and their preparedness to manage them. Ethical practices were followed, and data were analyzed using SPSS version 23 with statistical significance at p < 0.05. Results: There is variability in awareness of health risks that could arise from flooding. Good levels of awareness were observed for common flood-linked diseases such as malaria(95.6%), cholera (98.1%), and typhoid fever (95.6%); however, a good proportion of respondents showed varying degree of awareness regarding certain diseases that could emanate from flooding like Dengue fever, Schistosomiasis, Hepatitis A and E, Diarrheal, Leptospirosis, and Hypothermia  Furthermore, 92.4% of the respondents reported being completely or partially prepared to cope with a range of health issues, such as vector-borne diseases, waterborne infection, and psychological trauma. A robust correlation was observed between preparedness and awareness, such that awareness respondents were 12 times more likely to be well-prepared (Odds Ratio = 12.04; 95% CI: 5.19–27.94; p < 0.001). Conclusion: Despite the promising level of awareness about flood related diseases and preparedness to handle flood-related health issues, some of the HCWs also lack the knowledge  and awareness of other diseases that could be caused by flooding emergencies and thus, would not be completely able to manage these cases appropriately. Building institutional preparedness through workforce development and mainstreaming disaster-preparedness into daily health planning is critical to health system resilience. Recommendation: Responsible stakeholders to address readiness of staff to manage flooding-related health problems through regular training sessions and drills, providing a conducive environment for in-service training on the health care management of flooding emergencies, readily equip health facilities with the necessary equipment and supplies for managing flood-related health care problems.