Pages: (1-6 )
Abstract
Health capital is affected by several preventable diseases, a situation which make farmers unable to utilize their human capital resources on farming activities efficiently. The study assessed the effect of malaria on rural farming household labour supply in Ikenne Local Government Area of Ogun state, Nigeria. The data for this study were obtained for a cropping season from one hundred farmers by simple random sampling techniques. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and regression techniques. The result showed that the factors, which influence farmer’s susceptibility to malaria, include age of farmers, farmer’s educational level, the use of mosquito repellant, number of farmer’s working days per week and the distance of household to healthcare centers. Factors, which influence workday loss as a result of malaria, were level of education of the household head and use of mosquito repellant. Factors which influence farmers’ healthy days with consequent effect on the supply of labour were level of education, use of mosquito repellant, number of working days per week and distance of household from healthcare centers. Factors, which influence farm size cultivated, werer technology employed in farming and farmer’s years of experience. Among the coping strategies employed by farming households against malaria include use of mosquito repellant, environmental sanitation and a combined use of orthodox medicine with local herbs.
Keywords: Malaria, Farming Household and Productivity.,