According to The Guardian, as nations marked 2014 World Toilet Day yesterday, the United Nations Children’s Education Fund (UNICEF) has revealed that no fewer than 119 million Nigerians still use unsafe toilet facilities in homes and public places, while about 50 million of them actually defecate in public places. The agency noted that slow progress on sanitary culture and open defecation accounts for prevalence of communicable diseases, putting more children at risk in the country. UNICEF, in a statement on Wednesday, observed that the 119 million Nigerians are among some 2.5 billion people worldwide, who do not have adequate toilets and among them one billion defecate in the open. “Here in Nigeria, about 119 million people are not using safe toilets which includes 50 million people defecating in the open. Nigeria is among the top five countries in the world with high population practicing open defecation and the number of open defecators has been on increase since 1990,” the statement read in part. Every year on 19 November, World Toilet Day is a chance to get involved in the global movement for toilets and sanitation for all, and raise awareness of the need for action to end the sanitation crisis. The theme for this year’s World Toilet Day is dignity and equality, inspiring action to end open defecation and putting a spotlight on how access to improved sanitation leads to a reduction in assault and violence on women. Media and External Relations Officer, UNICEF Nigeria, Geoffrey Njoku, said the lack of a safe, clean toilet and practice of open defecation seriously impact people’s health, wellbeing and dignity as well as efforts towards poverty reduction, economic and social development and the environment. Njoku noted that there has been an upsurge in cholera cases in Nigeria, which is “primary due to poor sanitation and hygiene practices in the country.” The recent epidemiology report from Federal Ministry of Health reported 34, 825 cases of cholera as against 2,882 cases over the same period in 2013. He added: “Every year over 150, 000 Nigerian children die from diarrhoea alone, largely caused by unsafe water, sanitation & hygiene practices.” The call to end the practice of open defecation is being made with growing insistence from United Nations which is being led by the office of Deputy Secretary General, encouraging countries to prioritize investments in sanitation and develop appropriate interventions to end this menace. Njoku added that in response to this call, the Nigerian government had shown commitments to end open defecation by 2025, “a target which is not only commendable but achievable considering Nigeria’s potential.” He said: “A country that has 75 per cent of its households having mobile phones can easily mobilise the people to have simple toilets and end open defecation. “Towards achieving the set target, UNICEF Nigeria is supporting the government to develop a national roadmap for elimination of open defecation in the country by 2025,” he said. In 2013, November 19 was designated as UN World Toilet Day. On what can be done to improve sanitary conditions, the World Toilet Organisation advocated for public awareness on more than one billion people who face the indignity of open defecation, which spreads diseases including cholera, typhoid, hepatitis and diarrhoea. Clean and safe toilets are fundamental for health, dignity, privacy, equality and education. Contact your local representative, community leader or Member of Parliament and let them know you care about public toilets in your area. Does your town need new public toilets? Are the toilets safe and accessible, clean and well maintained? Is there an appropriate ratio of toilets for men and women, or ‘potty parity’? Talk toilets with your local representative today.
Culled from The Guardian