Open defecation: 23.5% Nigerians culpable – Expert
An environmental Health expert with the College of Health Science, Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-Ife, Dr Aluko Olufemi has revealed that about 23.5 per cent of households in Nigeria practice open defecation.
Dr Olufemi stated this yesterday during a stake holders meeting organized by WaterAid to review Bauchi state government’s policy on Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) held at Destination Hotel Bauchi.
He maintained that the unhealthy attitude was not unconnected with lack of befitting toilets in some households which according to him, contribute to diseases, morbidity and mortality rates in the society.
According to him, every eight seconds a child dies as a result of a condition related to unsafe water, unclean domestic environments and improper ‘excreta’ disposal globally.
Olufemi who noted that the standards set by Nigerian National Water Supply and Sanitation policy of 2000 stipulated that safe water should be located within a distance of 100 meters from the household residence lamented that there is no proper inspection of water sources fetched by Nigerians or water vendors by governments at all levels to ensure that citizens consume potable water.
The Expert stressed that, “sanitation is a basic human right and important foundation for health, economic and sustainable development and a key building block in environmental protection. The minimum quantity of water required daily is 30 to 120 litres per person”.
Earlier, the WaterAid WASH technical expert Mr Adebayo Alawo had explained that the NGO is providing technical support to the Bauchi State government so that it could meet the global target of making WASH services available to every resident by the year 2030.
“The meeting which had participants from private borehole drillers, environmental solid waste collectors and water vendors was aimed at reviewing the state policy on water, sanitation and hygiene with a view to aligning with current realities and global challenges”, Mr Adebayo said.
