The Registrar of the Environmental Health Council of Nigeria (EHCON), Dr Yakubu Mohammed Baba, has urged Nigerians to make environmental sanitation, personal hygiene and preventive healthcare daily priorities to reduce the spread of transmissible diseases.
Dr Baba made the call during an interview with journalists in Abuja, where he spoke on issues affecting the health and wellbeing of children and families.
The EHCON Registrar stressed that disease prevention should begin before illness occurs, warning that poor sanitary conditions, unsafe water and unhygienic surroundings continue to expose communities, particularly children, to preventable diseases.
He called on parents and caregivers to pay greater attention to children’s health by ensuring that they receive appropriate vaccinations and are taken to health facilities promptly whenever they show signs of illness.
According to him, closing vaccination gaps and improving access to basic preventive healthcare are essential to protecting children and reducing the burden of transmissible diseases across the country.
Dr Baba also appealed to individuals and communities to take collective responsibility for maintaining clean and healthy environments.
He urged Nigerians to dispose of refuse properly, protect water sources from contamination, keep their surroundings and drainage systems clean, and practise regular handwashing and other basic hygiene measures.
He further cautioned against overcrowding and other environmental practices that could create favourable conditions for the transmission of diseases.
The Registrar emphasised that disease prevention requires sustained public health education and stronger cooperation among government institutions, healthcare professionals, families and communities.
He urged Nigerians to make environmental cleanliness and personal hygiene an integral part of their everyday lives, noting that effective disease prevention starts with healthy practices, clean surroundings, timely vaccination and responsible health-seeking behaviour.
The call comes as public health authorities continue to emphasise preventive measures as a key strategy for protecting vulnerable populations, particularly children, from avoidable illnesses.
