Data on gender-equitable healthcare accessibility in Northern Nigeria

Abstract

Gender equity, particularly in healthcare, has been gaining increasing attention in recent years. The goal is to ensure that everyone has equal access to quality healthcare services irrespective of age, gender, or socio-economic status. However, most countries in sub-Saharan Africa struggle to meet this goal, due to several challenges, including poverty, poor infrastructure, and gender-bias. Using Nigeria as a case-study, it is common knowledge that gender inequality and discrimination is predominant in the northern region of the country. This work sought to gather data to assess the level of healthcare accessibility from a gender-based perspective in northern Nigeria. Data were sourced anonymously from residents in about 500 locations across the northern region of Nigeria, using WhatsApp-based questionnaires, in two phases and two languages - English and Hausa. About 4700 participants took part in the survey and each had to answer 43 questions, split into demographic, socio-economic, wellness check, and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in health care services obtained.

Keywords

• Healthcare
• Gender-equity
• Regional dataset
• Nigeria