Environment
MDGs Target:Director Seeks More Sanitary Inspectors
Governments at all levels
must deploy more sanitary inspectors, if Nigeria must meet the sanitation target of the Millennium Development Goals by 2015.
The Director, Department of Disaster Management and Water and Sanitation, Federal Ministry of Health, Mr John Kehinde, said this recently in an interview with newsmen
“The Federal Government, the state governments and the local governments have to wake up, if we want to attain the MDG goals by 2015.
“There is the need to employ more sanitary inspectors to take charge of our environment.
“Abuja initially was estimated to have a population of about 680,000, but today, we have about 2.8 million to three million people living in Abuja and less than 10 qualified sanitary inspectors in the city.
“The World Health Organisation projection says one sanitary inspector to 8,000 people; Nigeria is estimated to be about 177 million people and we have less than 7,000 officers.”
Kehinde decried the ratio of one sanitary inspector to about 100,000 people in Nigeria, saying that it fell far short of the global sanitary standards.
The director noted that environmental health, which is one of the oldest professions in the country dating back to 1920, had less than 7,000 officers currently, blaming the situation on the non-replacement of retired staff.
He recalled how effective the sanitary inspectors were in their work of combating diseases during the colonial period, by making sure that people complied with the rules of sanitation.
“Our function is routine inspection; the first people to detect and prevent disease are the environmental health officers popularly sanitary inspectors.
“During the colonial times, these sanitary inspectors had areas they covered every day; they entered households to inspect even their utensils.’’
The director said that the Environmental Health Officers Registration Council (EHORECON), was trying its best in organising mandatory courses for all the existing sanitary inspectors nationwide.
Kehinde, therefore, urged the government to employ more people so that the department could achieve its mandate.
Submerged houses on Azinge Crescent, GRA, Benin City after a down pour recently
The National Orientation Agency (NOA) on Thursday, launched an awareness campaign, aimed at educating residents on the increasing impact of climate change.
The campaign also seeks to enlighten residents on the urgent need for personal and community protection measures.
During the launch in Uyo on Thursday, the Akwa Ibom Director of NOA, Mr Mkpoutom Mkpoutom, said that the campaign aims at enlightening residents, about the changes in weather patterns.
He said that this includes unpredictable rise in temperatures, and how these changes threaten public health across the state.
Mkpoutom noted that the current weather was not harmattan, but an extreme form of air pollution, which is harmful to health as it could cause oxidative stress which affects body balance.
“Our environment is changing rapidly, and the effects are evident in the disruptions faced by our communities.
“It is paramount that every citizen of Akwa Ibom understands these changes and take necessary steps to protect themselves, their families, and their livelihoods,” he said.
He appealed to citizens to take the following precautions which include wearing of nose mask, drinking sufficient water, covering of food and water to keep away dust, washing fruits thoroughly before eating, among others.
He directed all NOA structures within the state to engage with local communities through town hall meetings and collaboration.
He also urged engagement with schools and community leaders, to disseminate vital information on early warning signs, as well as safety protocols during extreme weather conditions.
The Chairman of Epe Local Government Area of Lagos State, Ms Surah Animashaun, has urged traders of Aiyetoro and Oluwo fish markets to consistently ensure a hygienic trading environment.
She urged the traders to maintain cleanliness and observe proper environmental sanitation in the markets.
Animashaun said this during a visit to some of the market areas in Epe on Saturday.
She said that clean markets were critical to public health.According to her, poor sanitation could lead to the outbreak of communicable diseases, especially in fish markets, where waste management must be handled with extra care.
The council chairman urged traders to dispose of refuse appropriately, avoid indiscriminate dumping of waste, and ensure regular cleaning of stalls and surroundings
She noted that environmental hygiene is a collective responsibility, adding that everyone should be involved in this development.
Animashaun also warned that the local government would not hesitate to enforce existing environmental laws, including sanctions against defaulters.
She assured traders of the council’s commitment to providing adequate waste disposal facilities and regular monitoring to sustain a clean and healthy market environment.
The council boss also urged traders to desist from selling by the roadside, so as to avoid accidents, noting that several motor accidents had occurred along the Aiyetoro market area.
“We, therefore, urge traders to stop selling on the roadside,” she said.
President, Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), Mrs Margaret Oguntala, has inaugurated the construction of 18 units residential terrace in highbrow Alausa area of Lagos toward bridging the nation’s shelter gap.
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