Health
CARL Umegboro, a Public Affairs Analyst, has called on government at all levels to step up concerted actions toward ending the menace of open defecation urgently.
Umegboro made this call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Thursday.
He described open defecation in the country as “alarmingly awful, stomach-turning’’ and above all, a hazard to human race.
Umegboro lamented that presently, Nigeria according to global statistics abysmally ranked first position in open defecation in Africa and second in the world after India.
“I just returned from a field trip to Ibadan on “Clean up Nigeria: Use the toilet” campaign organised by UNICEF in collaboration with Federal Ministry of Information and Culture, European Union and DFID through UK aid.
“I must state that open defecation apart from appallingly being barbaric, is also essentially extremely dangerous to human life.”
Umegboro also a social crusader, said that the nuisance had contributed to high number of deaths of vulnerable children, who every now and then were infected with diarrhea, cholera and other dangerous diseases.
He listed the costs of open defecation to include low productivity and economic loss resulting from avoidable illnesses.
According to him, others are health impact, especially on child development due to frequent episodes of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) related illnesses as well as loss of dignity.
He said importantly, there was a high risk of insecurity and violence against women and children in the forests in the course of open defecation.
Umegboro, however, commended President Muhammadu Buhari for his assurance to adopt zero tolerance in ending open defecation in the country by 2025.
“Open defecation has for decades been overlooked by all levels of governments in spite of its negative consequences and implications to human existence.
“I commend Mr President for his declaration to end the menace in few years’ time.
“Interestingly, such intervention which will lead to unprecedented provision of functional public toilets will robotically boost employment opportunities in the society when high volumes of public facilities are actively put in place across the nation.
“In fact, open defecation cuts across almost all classes of people due to lack of functional and safe public facilities in adequate numbers.
“Hence, it goes beyond looking for the perpetrators in the act but painstakingly, counting the available public toilets in every
neighbourhood alongside their proximities which is in the negative.
“Federal Government should ensure that state and local governments as well as private sector are attractively involved for optimum results. Then, enforcement must be total.”
Umegboro expressed confidence that through the president’s willpower and public support to the campaign, the nation would realistically become Open Defecation Free (ODF) in 2025. (NAN)
– June 27, 2018 @ 13:55 GMT |
Tags: Open defecation is a threat to humanity – activist
