By Fatima Saka
The federal government of Nigeria has identified poor sanitation revolving around the environment space as vectors for communicable diseases in Nigeria.
Further stressed that more than 3.5 million children suffer from diarrheal diseases, adding that children who are less than 5 years old, are more prone to such diseases.
This was said by the Permanent Secretary of Federal Ministry Of Environment, Alhaji Ibrahim Yusufu at the 2023 National Environmental Sanitation Day Commemoration held on Thursday in Abuja, with the theme:”Promoting sustainable waste management for a healthy environment: stop open dumping”.
Alhaji Yusufu stressed that a large number of children die every year due to sanitation and hygiene enabled diseases.
According to the Permanent Secretary that considering the critical role sanitation and hygiene play in preventing and controlling the spread of infectious diseases such as Cholera, Typhoid fever, Lassa Fever, COVID-19 virus, Monkey pox virus among others.
He added that the theme is a clarion call for everybosy in the society to work towards leverage on lessons learned from response to COVID-19 to address the neglect of Sanitation and hygiene as a major means of preventing and controlling transmission of sanitation & hygiene associated infectious diseases.
He said: xThe advent of emerging and re-emerging diseases such as COVID-19, Lassa Fever, Monkey pox, Cholera etc. in Nigeria has further underscored the fact that access to Sanitation and Hygiene is not only a fundamental human right that safeguards public health and human dignity but also an essential need when it comes to disease prevention.
This year’s National Environmental Sanitation Day, therefore calls for individuals, communities, governments at all levels, development partners etc. to be involved in the planning and implementation of sanitation and hygiene activity within their immediate environment, community and the nation at large.
“In 1999, The Federal Government through the Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved the movement of the sanitation mandate from other line Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) providing sanitation services to form part of the Federal Ministry of Environment and ever since then, the Ministry in its effort to promote Clean and healthy Environment has been carrying out programmes and activities in the following areas: Development of National Environmental Sanitation Policy and its guidelines in 2005 on Pest and Vector Control, School Sanitation, Market and Abattoir Sanitation, Sanitary Inspection of Premises, Solid Waste Management. It also includes Safe excreta and sewage disposal whose policy document was reviewed in 2019,
” Construction of public toilets in public places like Schools and markets; development of National Policy on Solid Waste Management, National Policy on Plastic Waste Management. Others include establishment of Plastic Recycling Centres across the country, community intervention programmes on open defecation including sensitization advocacy and awareness creation programme, Establishment of Environmental Health Council (EHCON), NOSDRA, NESREA among others.
In his welcomed remark, Mr. Charles Ikeah Director of Pollution Control and Environmental Health, said It is through the collaboration and combined efforts of all stakeholders that we can achieve meaningful change.
“By sharing our knowledge, expertise, and resources, we can forge innovative solutions that will address the challenges of open dumping and lead us towards a sustainable and healthy environment.”
Also, in her remark, Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Water Resources, Didi Esther Walson-Jack, said in response to the interventions in the water sanitation and hygiene as WASH sector, they intended to contribute to improving the quality of life of Nigerians elimination of open defecation, as well a Indiscriminate dumping of Waste across the country.
“As a foster Ministry for the implementation of the SDG 6 on water and sanitation, as ministry of resources is committed to the aggressive implementation of policies and strategies to ensure that the country assess lofty targets enshrined in the goals.”
In her goodwill messages, Dr. Jane Bevan, UNICEF Nigeria Chief of WASH said poor sanitation are the environmental issues that really affect children.
She stressed that it’s very difficult to talk about the environment without talking about climate change. “You know that the world is getting much more extreme hot weather, climate events, more flooding.
“We had the worst flooding we’ve had for a long time in Nigeria last year. Also drought, water, deforestation, all of these issues really affect us. And you know what? Children are the most vulnerable groups. Thinking about child rights, this is a real rights issue for you to really work towards improving the environment.
Speaking on, Mr. Alexander Chimbaru Deputy WHO Country Representative said poor sanitation diseases are attributed to the environment with population living conditions to basic efficiencies.
“Unfortunately, many people in the US within our cities and communities can make a huge difference in mobilizing communities: like the facilities, schools, market providers finding mechanisms to build resilient, sustainable waste management services use scarce resources.
” This also needs to stop and we’re spending has a method for waste management is a common practice in our villages in our schools or industry in Nigeria who facilitate coordination, development and control of Nigeria sanitation policies in Nigeria and Washington health care facilities to Nigeria youth was strategy development of electronic waste policies And of course control In Nigeria.”
