*Northern states among worse hit
*Residents complain of cough, catarrh, aggravation asthma, others
By Hauwa Ali and Fatima Saka
With the harmattan season characterised by dry climatic conditions, winds carrying sand, and dust particles filling the atmosphere, many Nigerians have expressed discomfort as most parts of the country are already feeling the harsh weather condition.
NatureNews.Africa reports that Harmattan season in the West African subcontinent, occurs between the end of November and the middle of March. It is characterised by dry and dusty winds which blows from the Sahara Desert over West Africa into the Gulf of Guinea.
Reports from the Nigerian Meteorological Agency [NiMet], shows that the northern region of the country, is usually the worst hit moving from moderate sunny and hazy conditions to thick Dust haze over the Northern region parts of Borno, Yobe, Jigawa, Bauchi, Gombe, Kano, katsina and Adamawa. Usually accompanying this condition is Poor visibility range of 2-5km and localized horizontal visibility of less than 1000m.
While the North Central and the South Inland region face relatively moderate sunny and hazy conditions during the forecast period.
It is observed that during Harmattan, humidity drops to as low as 15 per cent, which can result in spontaneous nosebleeds for some people. Other health effects on humans may include conditions of the skin (scales, chicken pox and measles), eyes (conjunctivitis), and respiratory system (cold cough and catarrh), including aggravation of asthma.
The weather is usually associated with frequent headaches, cough, cold, sore throat, sneezing, wet eyes, catarrh and general nasal tract disorder causing great discomfort.
Several studies have shown that the dry, cold and dusty wind associated with the Harmattan weather can also lead to more complicated diseases like rheumatism, cardiac arrest, nose bleeding, arthritis and even death from hypothermia, because the respiratory system suffers greatly when the body is exposed to cold and dry weather. It can also trigger crises in sickle cell patients.
Then there are of course the mild challenges like cracking of lips or breaking of lips, sole of the feet, conjunctivitis, dry skin and others.
However, according to a recent study published in the Environ health journal, the cold dusty Harmattan is a season of anguish for cardiologists and patients, as cold dusty season in Sub-Saharan Africa, is the season of greatest concern for hypertension and cardiovascular diseases, which have demonstrated a seasonal pattern. According to the study, Harmattan aggravates and worsens the outcome of blood pressure, stroke, heart failure and other cardiovascular diseases.
In view of the serious portent, it is high time Nigeria becomes more proactive. Dust haze normally envelopes the entire country’s skyline, forming a thick blanket of fluffy, fine airborne particles. The associated weather condition generally impacts on agriculture, health and socio-economic life in the country.
The harmattan season also affect air travels unpredictably as booked flights are highly prone to cancellations or delay, depending on air visibility. The harmattan undoubtedly disrupts the services of many struggling airlines.
To ease the ease the effects harmattan, doctors have adviced a combination of personal hygiene of frequently washing of hands and face with diluted disinfectants and the use of local herbs such as garlic, ginger, tumeric, Aloe vera, potato, lemon and apple cider vinegar could prevent and treat the Harmattan/dry-season associated ailment.
It is also highly adviceable to adhere to NiMet prescriptions of taking necessary precautions due to Dust particles presently in suspension over the atmosphere;
Individuals with respiratory ailments should protect themselves as much as possible as the current dusty weather condition is adverse to their health; Night – Time cold temperatures should be expected, hence, warm clothing’s are advised for the little ones.
All Airline operators are advised to avail themselves of weather reports periodically from NiMet for effective planning in their operations.
Fire outbreaks
Fire outbreaks constitute one of the common risks during Harmattan. This is as a result of the Harmattan, which is associated with dryness and wind. Between November and March, quite a lot of fire outbreaks are often recorded since there is the dry wind, which makes it easy for the fire to spread at the slightest ignition.
