Ezema, James O. (2015)

Vulnerability however describes those features of a society, social or economic institution, or process that affect the likelihood that excess morbidity and mortality associated with disease will have a negative impact. These are beyond the natural factors associated with susceptibility; poverty, fragmented social issues, and gender inequality all exacerbate vulnerability. These deep rooted factors however, weaken people’s ability to cope with the impact of vulnerability and those with high-risk groups in any society, especially developing country like Nigeria. In the context of this paper, vulnerability means having no control over one’s risk of acquiring skills for self esteem, development and fulfillment as an individual in the society. Addressing vulnerabilities and high risk groups requires long term sustainable strategic solutions and interventions linked to the development process. This paper discussed various types or categories of vulnerable and high-risk groups in Nigeria to include women, young people, female sex workers, long distance truck drivers and commercial motorcyclists, military personnel and police officers, men who have sex with men and injection drug users. The authors also discussed how the case of vulnerability and high-risk groups in Nigeria could be reached with interventionist and development strategic programmes through open and distance learning system. Open and distance learning system was however chosen by the authors due to its unique characteristics in reaching the vulnerable and high-risks such as nomadic groups, refugees and inmates in other parts of the world. Conclusion was drawn and recommendations on the way forward were made. Journal of Teacher Perspective, Volume 8 No. 3, July, 2014, ISSN: 2006 0173