The federal government has attributed the scoiurge of the large and significant percentage of preventable communicable diseases particularly in developing countries including Nigeria, to poor sanitation.
It lamented that a large number of children die every year due to sanitation and hygiene enabled diseases.
The permanent secretary of the ministry of Environment, Ibrahim Yusufu who spoke at the commemoration of the 2023 National Environmental Sanitation Day (NESD) in Abuja Thursday, said more than
3.5 million children suffer from diarrheal diseases yearly as a result of poor sanitation in the country.
He maintained that, children, who are less than 5years old, are more prone to such diseases.
According to him, the advent of emerging and re-emerging diseases such as COVID-19, Lassa Fever, Monkey pox, Cholera and others 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.
The permanent secretary said that this year’s National Environmental Sanitation Day, called for individuals, communities, governments at all levels, development partners and others. to be involved in the planning and implementation of sanitation and hygiene activity within their immediate environment, community and the nation at large.
He said 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, stating that, ever since then, the Ministry in its effort to promote Clean and healthy environment has been carrying out programmes and activities in the areas of 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 and Solid Waste Management.
Others he said included 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 and others.
Yusufu further said that the Federal Ministry of Environment has been carrying out sanitary inspection of all Federal Government establishments, including Federal Government Schools, Ministries, Parastatals, Agencies Military and Paramilitary Barracks, Correctional Centres (Prisons), Public places such as Petrol Stations, Abattoirs, motor parks, markets and regulated food premises such as hotels, while the states and LGAs use the policies and guidelines developed as guide for their daily routine for sanitation and hygiene activities in the states and LGAs.
He reiterated that environmental sanitation was imperative for socio- economic development, maintaining that Its impact on all the Sustainable Development Goals cannot be overemphasised most especially SDG Goal 6-Improved Access to Clean Water and Sanitation.
The permanent secretary hinted that the proportion of people without sustainable access to basic sanitation in the recent analysis revealed that less than half of the Nigerian population has access to improved sanitation facilities.
He further added that many of the city centres, communities and households still battle with the problems of waste management, the situation he said is not healthy for the country.
He used the occasion to call on all state governments, commissioners of environment, local government chairmen and councilors, environmental health officers, NGOs, CBOS, FBOs, development partners, organized private sector, traditional and religious leaders across the country to actively step up their sanitation and hygiene campaigns as an effective means of controlling and preventing disease transmission.
The permanent secretary emphasized that the National Environmental Sanitation Day is more than just a day; urging stakeholders to make sanitation and hygiene an integral part of their everyday life.
He further enjoined governments at all levels, all media organizations, development partners to join the federal ministry of environment and other stakeholders in propagating Sanitation and hygiene practices to the general public, children, families, communities, and associations as one of the measures to reduce the country’s disease burden and ensure a Sustainable Waste Management for a healthy environment and to also stop open dumping.
Earlier, in his opening remarks, a Director in the ministry, Charles Ikeah said open dumping of waste has long been a detrimental practice that not only pollutes the environment but also poses serious health hazards to the communities.
He said the consequences of open dumping affect not only the present but also future generations, adding that it is a problem that demands the immediate attention and concerted efforts.
