World Toilet Day: Poor Sanitation Increases Diseases Among Children, Adolescent Girls – UNICEF
By Ahmed Ahmed
The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Bauchi Field Office marked the 2024 World Toilet Day with a stark warning: one gram of human waste can carry millions of harmful bacteria, viruses, and parasites that endanger human health.
Dr. Nuzhat Rafique, represented by Ms. Namba Micheal, UNICEF's Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) officer stated this in Bauchi on Tuesday
He emphasized that these pathogens spread through air, water, flies, and animals, contaminating food and water sources.
This contamination leads to outbreaks of diseases like cholera, a leading killer of children
He said the key concerns are Poor Sanitation, Increases the risk of life-threatening diseases, especially among children and adolescent girls.
“Open defecation affects daily life, causing children to miss school, families to spend on healthcare, and time lost due to illness.
“It creates a cycle of poverty, preventing children from reaching their full potential,” he said.
Rafique advocates for a focus on the complete sanitation value chain, including containment, transportation, and recycling.
“This approach could create significant opportunities for job creation and economic growth,” he said.
Government and Stakeholder have committed to sanitation and Hygiene projects in the state
To address these challenges, UNICEF encourages the state government to provide an enabling environment for private sector investment in sanitation
Dr Mahmud Bose,Director General,Bauchi State Environmental Protection Agency( BASEPA) said the government has initiated programs focused on access to sanitation, developed an operational procedure for Fecal Sludge Management, and allocated a budget for an FSM treatment plant.
Alhaji Abubakar Baraya,chairman,Toilet Business Owners in Dass local Government Councils said they have received fabricated toilet facilities to expand their businesses for climate-resilient toilets.
Alhaji Aslamu Sabo, General Manager, Rural Water and Sanitation Agency (RUWASA ) confirmed that nine local government councils now have Open Defecation Free (ODF) status.
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