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80% of diseases suffered by Nigerians due to open defecation, says official

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The Deputy Director, Niger Ministry of Health, Hajiya Rakiya Datti,

has said that over 80 per cent of diseases such as cholera, diarrhoea,

polio and Ebola are contacted through open defecation.

*Once upon a time: Open defecation in Bauchi Datti made the disclosure

in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria(NAN) in Minna.

She said children who were vulnerable die daily from the outbreak of

cholera, diarrhoea, polio and Ebola, which were transmitted through

water and air.

She added that if open defecation was not curbed, there would be

continuous spread of diseases.

She stressed that "as long as open defecation is not put to an end,

the society will be diseased, as there will be infection and

re-infection even when government puts more efforts to curtail it.''

The deputy director added that promotional campaigns and programmes

would serve as key to an end to open defecation but creating toilets

should be the primary concern of every house builder.

She said "it is the responsibility of the Urban Development Board to

ensure that toilets are incorporated in the master plan before any

building can take place.

Datti, however, urged the Federal Government and state governments to

provide adequate facilities in public places for easy access so as to

reduce open defecation in the country.

She also urged private ventures to go into the business of building

public toilets that would be monitored by states' environmental

sanitation officials to ensure that they were hygienic and safe for

use.

She said "the Build, Operate and Own (BOO) toilet is a source of

income to individuals, the government should emphasis on this theory

so as to bring about development.

"Environmental health officers, sanitary officers should also have a

role to play in the BOO.

"Officers should go to communities to enlighten the people on the

dangers of open defecation.

"There should also be law enforcement with appropriate sanction at the

federal and state level on open defecation to ensure people adhere to

it.

Credit: vanguard

Kofi Oppong Kyekyeku

I am a Ghanaian Broadcast Journalist/Writer who has an interest in General News, Sports, Entertainment, Health, Lifestyle and many more.

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