title: An assessment of national need for community physician manpower in Nigeria.
abstract: This is a study of the government policy situation in all the 19 states of Nigeria in relation to the practice of community medicine in the context of primary health care and the movement for health-for-all by the year 2000, as well as the existing mechanisms for the achievement of those policies. The result of the study, which was carried out by means of mail questionnaires to all the 19 Ministries of Health (MOH) and each of the State Health Management Boards (SHMB) or Health Councils (SHC), show that only 8 of the states have actual or assumed policy for the provision of community medical officers ("Medical Officers of Health") for each of their local government areas. Only 3 states have a mechanism for operating the said policy. Details of the study methods and the responses, as well as other aspects of community medical practice in the states are discussed and suggestions made towards their improvement for the attainment of the health-for-all objectives in Nigeria in the foreseeable future.
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Asuzu
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Aderonke Olumide
authors.forename: O O
authors.initials: OO
authors.lastname: Kale
mesh_terms: D003154:Community Medicine; D006291:Health Policy / Q000592:standards*; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D009549:Nigeria; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D000078329:Workforce