Expert Canvases Safe Sanitation Solutions For Healthier Communities

An Environmental Health Expert, Mrs Veronica Augustine, has called on Nigerians to adopt safely managed sanitation practices to reduce health risks associated with poor hygiene.

Augustine stated in Abuja on Tuesday that poor hygiene practices posed health risks affecting both individuals and communities.

She highlighted the crucial components of safely managed sanitation, including ending open defecation, improved sanitation facilities, safe excreta management, and proper waste disposal.

She stressed the impact on disease prevention, mentioning waterborne diseases like cholera, dysentery, vector-borne diseases, respiratory and soil-transmitted infections, nutritional impacts, child stunting, and maternal health issues.

According to her, inadequate sanitation can lead to social stigma, discrimination, and mental health concerns, elevating the risk of disease outbreaks due to contaminated water and insufficient waste management.

“The significance of addressing sanitation-related health risks lies in the reduction of waterborne diseases and the overall improvement of community well-being.

“Despite the positive impact of safely managed sanitation on public health, challenges include access disparities in urban and rural areas, economic barriers, and cultural and behavioral factors.”

Augustine, who also a deputy director in the Federal Ministry of Health, emphasised the need for a collective effort to create a world where everyone has access to safely managed sanitation, fostering healthier and more sustainable societies.

According to her, Nigeria is currently off-track to meeting the SDGs for Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) by 2030, calling for increased coordination and the harmonisation of existing sanitation laws.

This, she emphasised, would significantly contribute to successful implementation of sanitation policies in Nigeria.

NAN/Oyenike Oyeniyi