THE ROLES OF RADIO AND INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION IN THE ERADICATION OF GUINEA WORM IN NKALAGU COMMUNITY

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title
page ................................................................... ii

Approval
page  ........................................................... ii

Dedication................................................................... iii

Acknowledgements...................................................... iv

Table
of contents......................................................... vii

Abstract....................................................................... xi

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION

1.1
Background of the study ...................................... 1

1.2
Statement of research problem ............................ 3

1.3
Objectives of the study.......................................... 3

1.4
Significant of the study ........................................ 4

1.5
Research questions .............................................. 5

1.6
Research hypotheses ............................................ 6

1.7
Operational and conceptual definition of terms 
.. 8

1.8
Assumptions of the study...................................... 11

1.9
The scope and limitations of the study ................. 12

      References .......................................................... 15

CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1
Sources of literature ............................................. 16

2.2
Literature review................................................... 16

2.2.1
A Brief overview of communication.................... 16

2.2.2
The history of radio: an electronic medium of

 Mass communication ................................................. 19

2.2.3
A brief history of interpersonal communication.. 21

2.2.4
A brief history of guinea worm........................... 23

2.2.5
Life cycle of dracunculus medinensis.................. 24

2.2.6
Treatment of guinea worm................................. 27

2.2.7
Social and economic impact of guineaworm...... 28

2.2.8
Endemic areas ................................................... 29

2.2.9
Declaring guinea worm disease eradicable......... 30

2.2.10
The roles radio has played in the eradication

   of guineaworm in Nkalagu............................... 33

2.2.11
The roles interpersonal communication has

   played in the eradication of guinea worm

   in
Nkalagu ....................................................... 35

2.2.12
with efforts made so far does guinea worm

         still exist? ......................................................... 38

2.2.13
Barriers of the eradication of guinea worm ..... 39

2.2.14
Suggestions on the ideal roles of radio

        and
interpersonal communication in the

 eradication
of guinea worm in Nkalagu ............. 41

2.3
Theoretical framework........................................... 43

2.4
Summary of literature........................................... 46

      References .......................................................... 47

CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

3.1
Research Design.................................................... 49

3.2
Area of the study................................................... 50

3.3
Population of the study ........................................ 51

3.4
Sample and sampling techniques ......................... 51

3.5
Instrument for data collection .............................. 53

3.6
Method of data collection ..................................... 54

3.7
Validity of the instrument ..................................... 54

3.8
Method of data analysis ........................................ 55

      References .......................................................... 56

CHAPTER FOUR: DATA ANALYSIS AND RESULT

4.1
Data analysis......................................................... 57

4.2
Test of hypotheses................................................ 67

4.3
Discussion and interpretation of result.................. 75

CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY CONCLUSION AND
RECOMMENDATIONS

5.1
Summary .............................................................. 78

5.2
Conclusion ............................................................ 79

5.3
Recommendations ................................................ 80

     Bibliography .......................................................... 82

    Appendix  
............................................................. 85

ABSTRACT

Guinea
worm disease is a disease that has eaten deep into the bone marrow of most
developing countries especially in the rural areas of these countries, though
efforts has been made and still being made it has to be treated or fought
severely for it to be entirely eradicated. That is why the researcher embarked
on this research to study and bring out the roles of radio and interpersonal
communication in the eradication of guinea worm using Nkalagu community as a
case study. The work will be divided into five chapters to allow it to be
treated better. Chapter one will comprise or contain from the brief
introduction of the study to the scope and limitation of the research. Chapter
two will be reviewing relevant literatures on the roles of radio and
interpersonal communication in the eradication of guinea worm. Chapter three
will deal on the methodology and strategies that will be used in the collection
of data for the research, then this data that has been collected will be
carefully and clearly presented in tables and interpreted in chapter four while
chapter five will give the summary, conclusion and recommendations for further
study.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1   BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Guinea worm disease also known as
DRACUNCULIASIS or MEDINA WORM is a very serious disease that has been a thorn
in the flesh of man.

It is one of the most documented human
parasites with tales of its behaviour reaching as far back as the second
century B.C. This disease which has been in many places but mostly significant
in Africa countries like Sudan, Mali, Ghana, Ethiopia and Nigeria is only
contracted when a person drinks any water that has been contaminated with the
larvae or walks unprotected in infected waters.

       Nevertheless
in Nigeria
especially in Nkalagu community in Ebonyi
State this disease
affected more people due to the fact that they drink from ponds, Streams and
rivers without getting the water treated. The rate of the disease drew the
attention of the media who noticed that many people contract this disease out
of ignorance and lack of social amenities, like bore hole and pipe borne water
in the community, the media used radio because of it’s characteristics of
breaking all language barriers, cheaper to afford and wide reach to tell the
people precautionary measures to take so as not to contract this disease.

       The
radio also created awareness to the government and other people to come to the
aid of Nkalagu people with infrastructure and fund for treatment of infected
persons, then they used interpersonal communication to organize seminars and
talks shows where the people are being educated on everything they need to know
about the disease and how to prevent it from reoccurring.

       The
study of the roles of interpersonal communication and radio in Nkalagu, in the
eradication of guinea worm is necessary because the previous efforts though
reduced, did not eradicate this disease, so the researcher using Nkalagu
community want  to establish and document
their ideal roles in eradication of this disease  so that it will serve as a reference material
in case of any further occurrence in the community of any other place, and also
enhance the quest and fight for eradication.

1.2   STATEMENT
OF RESEARCH PROBLEM

In Nkalagu community in Ebonyi state
people suffer from guinea worm disease because they drink from ponds and
streams, and the media using interpersonal communication and radio have failed
in their quest to eradicate this disease, that is why the researcher embarked
on this research to find out the main roles they play or the ideal roles they
are meant to play towards the total eradication of this disease.

1.3   OBJECTIVES
OR PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

Every movement by man requires focus that
is why the objectives of this study are:

1.         
To
ascertain or discover how interpersonal communication and radio educate and
expose man to his environment

2.         
To
ascertain the roles of both interpersonal communication and radio towards the
eradication of guinea worm in Nkalagu community.

3.         
To
find out how effective they are in their eradication roles or programmes.

4.         
To
examine the problems and prospectects of interpersonal communication and radio
in the eradication of guinea worm in Nkalagu.

1.4   SIGNIFICANCE
OF THE STUDY

This study is aimed at exposing the
roles of interpersonal communication and radio in the eradication of guinea
worm especially in Nkalagu community.

       From
this the knowledge of the ruralites will be widened to initiate and carryout
eradication programmes or projects on their own when the need arises.

       To
students as well especially those of them in the health sector, they can learn
on how communication enhances the eradication of guinea worm in rural areas.

       For
organizations especially Word Health Organization (WHO), United Nation
International Children Emergency Fund (UNICEF) and others who fight or are
fighting seriously against this disease to see that it is eradicated, this work
will guide them on the best way to approach eradication programmes especially
in rural areas where the disease is rampant by exposing to them how effective
and easier interpersonal communication and radio will make the whole
programme.  

       In
conclusion the government as the last resort in a country should see to it that
they get rural dwellers involved in any of the project they are embarking on
especially eradication projects because they constitute 70% of the populace.

1.5   RESEARCH
QUESTIONS

1.    Is communication necessary in the effort of
eradicating guinea worm?

2.    Are radio and interpersonal communication
suitable as media of communication for this eradication exercise?

3.    Is radio more effective than interpersonal communication
in reporting each new case or development of the disease anywhere?

4.    Is interpersonal communication more
persuasive than radio in educating the rural dwellers on preventive and simple
control measures?

5     Is interpersonal communication more effective
than radio in treatment of infected persons?

6.    Can radio be of far reach and generally
understandable than interpersonal communication when it comes to message
transmission?.

1.6   RESEARCH
HYPOTHESES

The following hypothetical statements
are to be tested

H1:  communication
is necessary in the effort of eradicating guinea worn

Ho:  communication
is not necessary in the effort of eradicating guinea worn

H2:  Radio
and interpersonal communication are suitable as media of communication for this
eradication exercise.