Disease Pattern and Social Needs of Street People in the Race Course Area of Kano, Nigeria

Purpose. The study is aimed at examining street people on Race Course Street in Kano, Nigeria for prevalence of common diseases. Study design. Descriptive report. Subjects and methods. Institutional ethical approval was obtained. Information was obtained on age, sex, place of residence, drug habits, source of drinking water, toilet facility used, visual acuity, blood pressure, random blood sugar level, presence of skin diseases and physical disability. Results. Sixty five subjects were examined and 7 declined. There were 16 males and 49 females (M:F=1:3). The mean age was 48 + 9.2 years. They were mainly widows, some live in the street and have no access to basic amenities and six use non-narcotic medicinal substances. Diseases observed are hypertension, visual problems, and trauma. Conclusion. Religious factors, socio-cultural factors, and lack of government policy leads to poor access to health care for street people.