Chioma Umeha
The United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) has
expressed concern over the increasing incidence of water-borne diseases in the
country especially in the Niger Delta region. The UN interventionist agency is
particularly worried that lack of access to potable water has led to deaths
among infants.
Specifically, the UN agency for children has said
that Nigeria can reduce death of children under the age of five by improving
access to safe water and sanitation for citizens.
The United Nations (UN) agency for children
further said that poor Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) causes more than
half of global diarrhoea diseases.
It explained that poor WASH remains the second
leading cause of deaths and other health hazards among children under the age
of five.
The international agency stated this at a ‘WASH’
media meeting by the Federal Ministry of Information in collaboration with
UNICEF in Uyo the Akwa Ibom State capital, recently.
It noted that the chemical contaminations
resulting from oil and gas exploration in the Niger Delta region has made it
necessary for efforts to be made to ensure safe and constantly checked water
for human consumption.
UNICEF therefore tasked governments across the
Niger Delta states to invest consciously in the provision of safe water supply
and sanitation for its rural populace.
The provision of such basic social amenity,
according to UNICEF would encourage hand washing and other hygienic practices
among school-age children and rural populace.
UNICEF said, “Poor WASH causes more than half of
global diarrheal diseases, which remains the second leading cause of morbidity
and mortality among children under the age of five.
“WASH also contributes to other goals including
Nutrition (stunting) and maternal and new born health.
“It improves productivity – by lessening the time
spent by women and children to fetch water, reducing stunting and school
attendance and performance especially by girls.
The UN agency added, “WASH due to its impact on
multiple sectors is very cost effective and globally it is proven to yield
between three dollars and seven dollars per every dollar invested in WASH,
depending on type of intervention and the programming context.”
“Improves social bonding and mitigates conflicts
through involvement of WASHCOMs, communities and their leadership in planning,
management & implementation of projects.”
Mr. Moustapha Niang, a ‘WASH specialist,’ in his
presentation, ‘Water, supply and quality in the Niger Delta’, emphasized on the need for proper
orientation of the rural populace to adopt attitude change and embrace water
safe plan, from water source, storage to point of use.
He urged government at all levels to ensure
provision of public toilet in public facilities as a means to discourage open
defecation and consequences associated with it.
Niang also recommended constant monitoring of
water quality to detect contamination, while encouraging the establishment of a
water sanitation committee in all communities across the region,.
“Prioritize the potential hazards and mitigate
such ,hazards through the entire water chain to ensure that water reaching the
consumer is safe and acceptable. Develop their community plan. Avoid for citing
potable water source around nearby latrines and areas fertilized for
agricultural purposes,” he said.
Martha Hokonya, also a WASH specialist, in her presentation – ‘Why invest in water supply’ said such investment in addition to job creation, reduces
diseases and mortality rate, improves
productivity and also provides time for women to engage in other
activities like child care and others activities which brings women together.
Hokonya said as an area prone to youth
restiveness, the essence of bringing the WASH programme to the Niger Delta
region was to address one of the agitations of the region, reduce conflicts and
agitation and promote good hygiene.
While reporting that about 206,954 additional
people have been reached with the WASH programme as against the targeted
543,000, she used the occasion to applaud some Niger Delta states which have
lived upto their counterpart fundings arrangement, but however appealed to
states yet to do so to step up to enable UNICEF do more.
Addressing the meeting, Nse Edem, the Permanent Secretary, Akwa Ibom
State Ministry of Political,
Legislative Affairs and Water Resources, said that the State is committed to the provision of safe water for
the people of the state and is ready
to partner UNICEF.
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| Two members of One the communities in Akwa Ibom washing hands in compliance wih improved WASH |
