HEALTH AND SOCIETY RESEARCH GROUP

Health and Society Research Group
 
Research Focus
Health, Public Health, Social Medicine, Development, African Society
 
Purpose/ Justification
Public health is a fundamental index of development. However, despite the recent economic growth witnessed in Nigeria, the investment in health out of the total government expenditure has been kept at a low level. Even more abysmally low is the investment in the funding of health, public health and medical related studies in Nigeria. The impact of this omission is colossal for Nigeria’s attempt to catch up with other parts of the developing world in most areas of scientific knowledge production and social development. Indeed the verdict is already loud and apparent by the Nigerian populace in terms of the level of mass dissatisfaction shown by the constant thronging to other developing countries for solution to their health needs. The basis of this practical verdict is the lack of confidence in the level of interest that is given to research activities that relate to public health in Nigeria. The University of Nigeria as a premiere center of research and a potential African and global leader in innovation, research and development, and human resource development is well suited to galvanize efforts in this area of research; hence the formation if this research group in the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
The research group will be called the Health and Society Research Group of the University of Nigeria and its research focus will include among other things, compelling contemporary health topics that border on public health and clinical processes as well as pharmaceutical responses to these. The research group will also engage in researches that seek to provide analytical frameworks for understanding the social contexts of health, illness and health care. To that effect the research group will also be interested in the subjective experience of health and illness, political, economic and environmental circumstances fostering ill health; and societal forces constraining the medical care system and individuals’ responses to illness. This research group will also be interested in how and why social problems, deviant behaviour and statuses, and even common conditions and behaviours are defined as medical conditions. The research of this group will above all be geared towards influencing public policy and practice in health and society.
 
 
 
 
 
Goals and Objectives
i. To work with other researchers and research groups towards creating a globally competitive and research focused University of Nigeria
ii. To contribute towards putting the University of Nigeria at the forefront of knowledge production in Africa and in the world.
iii. To promote the capacity of the university of Nigeria to be a world leader in innovation, research and development, and human resource development.
iv. To engender the professional growth and development of individual members of this Research Group through engaging in regular interdisciplinary research projects and the dissemination of research results via reputable channels and outlets also to the glory of the University of Nigeria.
v. To engage in such other activities that would help to meaningfully implement the University of Nigeria Research Policy.Composition of the Group
1. Prof. Chibuzor K. Ofokansi (PhD) — — — — — Coordinator
(Dept. of Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, UNN)
2. Nnanna Onuoha Arukwe (PhD)  — — — — — Member
(Dept. of Sociology & Anthropology, UNN
3. Ifeoma Echezona (PhD) — — — — — — — Member
(Nnamdi Azikiwe Libraray, UNN)
4. Samuel Chinedu Ejiofor (PhD) — — — — — — Member
(Dept. of Social Work & Community Development)
5. Eugene Okorie (PhD) — — — — — — — Member
(Dept. of Science Education, UNN)
6. Chuka Ugwu (PhD) — — — — — — — Member
7. (Dept. of Public Administration and Local Government)
8. Innocent Okechukwu Eme (PhD) — — — — — — Member
(Dept. of Public Administration and Local Government)
9. Ifeoma Nzekwe (Msc) — — — — — — — Member
(Dept. of Public Administration and Local Government)
10. Njideka Eneogu (Msc) — — — — — — — Member
(Dept. of Social Science Education, UNN)
11. Chika Nwakanma (Msc) — — — — — — — Member
(Dept. of Sociology & Anthropology, UNN)
12. George Nche (Msc) — — — — — — — Member
(Dept. of Religion and Cultural Studies, UNN)
13. Okechi S. Okafor (PG Student) — — — — — — Member
(Dept. of Sociology & Anthropology, UNN)
14. Kelechi Okpara (PG Student) — — — — — — Member
(Dept. of Sociology & Anthropology, UNN)
15.  Chiamaka P. Amadike (PG Student) — — — — — Member
(Dept. of Sociology & Anthropology, UNN)