Niger state has been badly hit by the cholera scourge that has affected all the 25-local government's areas in the state, claiming about150 lives.
The commissioner for health in the state revealed this at a conference organized by pathfinder international, attributing it to bad Sanitation practices, especially Open defecation.
He, speaking further on open defecation said it poses obvious environmental, health and economic problems for Nigeria and its nationals. It pollutes the environment and exposes children and adults to critical health problems like diarrhea, hence leading to untimely deaths.
Recall that In 2019, Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari signed an Executive Order to tackle open defecation. In the same year, Nigeria’s Ministry of Water Resources with UNICEF and some other key agencies launched the initiative tagged ‘Nigeria Open-Defecation-Free By 2025: A National Road Map’ to end the inimical practice.
Image Source: Clean Nigeria.
Most of these initiatives have not yielded desired results as the Government at all levels are still dragging their foot on its legislation. With Kwara and plateau states having the highest population of people who open defecate.
This is a wake-up call not only for Niger state but also for other states, first educate the populace on the dangers and solutions of open dedication. Government should also provide infrastructure as it relates to sanitation and also the water supply. Finally, it should make suitable legislation in this regard.
Content created and supplied by: Pjtoguns (via Opera News )
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