Effects of open defecation among children

By Bisola Adeyemo

Nigeria is among the nations in the world with the highest number of people practicing open defecation with an estimation of over 46 million people.

The practice of open defection especially in the rural areas has effects on children in the areas of health and education.

Open defecation is the human practice of defecating outside (such places as fields, bushes, forests, ditches, streets, canals, etc.) rather than into a toilet.

The practice is common where sanitation infrastructure and services are not available. Even if toilets are available, behavior change efforts may still be needed to promote the use of toilets.

Open defecation pollutes the environment and causes health problems and diseases, particularly among children. Some water sources are at risk of flooding with fecal material from surrounding areas during rains.

Open defecation continues to unleash health risks sometimes leading to deaths from poor sanitation and hygiene practices.
High levels of open defecation are linked to high child mortality, poor nutrition, poverty, and large disparities between rich and poor.

Possible diseases affecting children include:

1) Child Stunting: Child stunting and wasting are observed to be one of the most widespread consequences of open defecation and poor sanitation around the world.

2) Malnutrition: The WHO estimates that 50 percent of malnutrition is associated with repeated diarrhea or intestinal worm infections from unsafe water or poor sanitation. This is because children with diarrhea eat significantly less food and can absorb fewer nutrients from their food, which perpetuates the cycle of catching bacteria-related illnesses. Diarrhea is also caused by a lack of clean water for handwashing.

It is also exacerbated by the lack of functional toilets which adequately dispose of faecal matter, as feces on the ground contribute to contaminated drinking water and water resources.

3) Diarrhea: The diarrheal disease continues to be a leading cause of mortality in children younger than 5 years.

Nearly 1.9 million children die annually from diarrheal disease, accounting for 19% of all deaths in this age group.

Note that intestinal worm infections, typhoid, cholera, hepatitis, polio, trachoma, and others are part of the disease caused by open defecation However, diarrhea remains a major killer.

Nigeria has made progress toward improving sanitation through its “Clean Nigeria: Use the Toilet” campaign.

However, as an individual, the community including the youths could contribute to humanitarian services, no matter how little. It can save lives and bring changes.