Safe Water, Hygiene Reduces Under Nutrition, Stunting –UNICEF


Chioma Umeha

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) on Monday, said that poor access to portable water, improved sanitation and hygiene (WASH) have a link to increase in diarrheal diseases which has been known from research to affect a child’s nutritional status.
Ms Mainga Banda, a UNICEF Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Specialist, who spoke at the opening of a Media Dialogue on WASH in Awka, Anambra stressed that improving access to WASH reduces diarrhea diseases.
Research shows that about 45 million under-five global children die annually from diseases caused by poor access to water, sanitation and hygiene.
At the event which was organised by the Child Rights Information Bureau (CRIB) of the Federal Ministry of Information in collaboration with UNICEF with support from European Union (EU), she corroborated research which shows that frequent diarrhea causes undernutrition.
According to statistics from a study titled, “Multi-country analysis of the effects of diarrhea on childhood stunting,’ “Diarrhea diseases can also affect a child’s nutritional status.
“25 per cent of stunting in children under the age of two could be due to five or more diarrhea episodes,” the study added.
It explained, “Repeated bouts of diarrhea causes undernutrition which in turn reduces a child’s resistance to subsequent infections, creating a vicious circle.”
It added that diarrhea causes death by depleting body fluids resulting on childhood growth and cognitive development of a child.
Similarly, it said that sanitation in Nigeria is declining and called for concern even though the country is investing more on sanitation.
Banda also noted, WASH has a critical role to play in the not only in reduction of diarrhea disease but, in prevention of Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD) which is silent killer of childrern as well as diarrhea.
Bemoaning the impact of poor WASH on children’s health and development, she stressed that the problem is a multi-sectoral one which requires multi-sectoral approach to tackle it.
Earlier, Mr. Olumide Osanyinpeju, Deputy Director, Child Right Information Bureau of the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture commended UNICEF and EU for their continuous as well as huge support in ensuring that safe water, sanitation and hygiene are brought to the rural people of Nigeria through the WASH Programme is highly commendable.
According to him, the issue of safe water and sanitation has been in the front burner of development issues in Nigeria because it affects a major segment of our society, a lot of who are children.
Osanyinpeju said, “Water, Sanitation and Hygiene is very important in the life of a Child.
“The Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) six clearly emphasises the importance of clean water and sanitation. Water and Sanitation are essential for the survival and development of all children, while simple hygiene such as hand washing can save lives.
Earlier, Mr Geoffrey Njoku, UNICEF Communication Specialist, identified objectives of dialogue to include creation of visibility for WASH interventions, donors and to generate human interest stories for publication.
Njoku said that it was an opportunity for journalists to develop human angle stories that would encourage Nigerian government to increase investments in WASH interventions.



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Insurgency: Nigerian Army Clears 25 More Children Of Links With Armed Groups, Says UNICEF

Image
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has said Thursday that 25 more children had been freed from Nigerian Army administrative custody having been cleared of suspected links with armed groups. With this number, a total of 44 children had been released this year, bringing the number to 1,627 children since 2016, that is four years now, the UN agency for children has said. UNICEF which announced this in a press statement signed by its Communication Specialist, Dr. Geoffrey Njoku, specifically said, “Twenty-three boys and two girls were released today from Nigerian Army administrative custody after being cleared of suspected ties with armed groups. This brings the number of children released this year to 44,” it added. It bemoaned the discrimination, deprivation and cruelty which the children have suffered. “These are children taken away from their families and communities, deprived of their childhood, education, health-care, and of the chance to grow up in a safe and enabling envir
Read more

Limited Information Frustrates Young Women From Using Family Planning

Image
BY CHIOMA UMEHA, Awareness and proper understanding of family planning has been recognised to reduce maternal death among young women of reproductive age between 15 and 49. Data on Sexual Reproductive Health outcomes in Nigeria stresses the importance of focusing on adolescents. At 576 maternal death per 1,000 live births, Nigeria accounts for 14 percent of the global burden of maternal mortality (NDHS 2013/WHO 2014). Global evidence shows that young girls bear a higher burden of maternal mortality and morbidity. Data shows that the average age at sexual debut is roughly 15 years of age among adolescent mothers in Nigeria. (NDHS 2003, 2008, 2013). The National adolescent fertility rate in Nigeria is 122 births per 1,000 women aged 15 to 19 years. In the North Western States, it is as high as 171 births per 1,000 women aged 15 to 19 years. To stem this, the government of Lagos State with support from partners and other donor agencies has put in place youth-friendly he
Read more

PSN President Commissions ACPN National Secretariat

Image
Chioma Umeha History was made among the community pharmacists recently, as the national body of the Association of Community Pharmacists (ACPN) inaugurated its National Secretariat at Ikeja, Lagos State. The event was graced by many notable personalities in the pharmaceutical sector including, Pharm. Ahmed Yakasai, the president of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) who commissioned the befitting edifice. Other notable guests at the event were – Dr. UNO Uwaga, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees for ACPN; Pharm. Bukky George, the Managing Director of Healthplus, among many former presidents of different pharmaceutical bodies. Pharm. Yakasai stated that it was a thing of joy for him to see this development come to light. He said that he is ‘a proud father’ as the inauguration of the building was a “testimony of when you have a proud son who can carry out directives.” He described the secretariat as “A home for all pharmacists across board.”
Read more