Prof. Oladiji Temidayo, Director, Centre for Research and In-house Training of the University of Ilorin, has said that Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is still a major challenge faced by rural women.

Temidayo made the disclosure on Wednesday at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH) during an assessment of Field Posting Reports for Masters in Public Health students of the Department of Epidemiology and Community Health.

Temidayo said reports from public health physicians in close contact with people in different communities across six local government areas in Kwara indicated that FGM, sacrificial markings, tribal marks and early marriages were rampant.

She warned that women who went through female circumcision experienced excruciating pains, severe bleeding, painful urination and sometimes infection.

Temidayo advised that increased female education, community involvement and legislation were needed to reduce the practice.

Also, Prof. Tanimola Akande, Head of Department of Epidemiology, noted that the reports of the physicians also indicated that health facilities were grossly under -utilised in the communities.

"The report showed glaringly that health workers are virtually non-existent in the rural communities and this means that if you are sick, you are at the mercy of God to survive," Akande said.

He advised that the funding of health the sector should not be the duty of the government alone but everyone's, adding that sustainability of existing health facilities was important for sustainability.

Dr Shakira Okesina, a Masters of Public Health student, explained that as part of their programme, they embarked on 12 months community health service in six local government areas.

Okesina listed the areas as Asa, Ifelodun, Ilorin East, Irepodun, Moro and Ilorin West.

She said that health centres in some of the communities were abandoned and unkempt, while the people in the communities preferred to go to hospitals in urban centres to using facilities around them.