The WaterAid Nigera says children all over the world have a right to sanitation, good health and quality education.
Dr ChiChi Aniagolu-Okoye, the Country Director, WaterAid Nigeria said this in an interview with newsmen last Wednesday in Abuja.
“Wherever they are in the world, children are entitled to the human rights of sanitation, good health and quality education.
”Through the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), world leaders have promised to deliver these rights for everyone everywhere by the year 2030 but at the current rates of progress, these promises will be broken with many countries way off track.
”One in three schools around the world do not currently have decent toilets, while one in five primary schools and one in eight secondary schools don’t have any toilet at all.’’
Aniagolu-Okoye said that about 620 million of the world’s school children do not have decent toilets.
“For these young people, it is normal to run home to relieve themselves or use bushes on the school ground despite safe toilets being the human right for everyone everywhere.
“Lasting and meaningful progress towards any of the UN SDG’s of health, education, women’s rights and equality will not be achieved without clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene.
”Therefore urgent action is needed now to improve the service of the 34 per cent of schools worldwide with no adequate toilets for pupils, to bring decent household toilets to 2.3 billion people still waiting and to make this an everyday thing for everyone.’’
She said that governments must prioritise delivering sanitation to all, investing in the essential services and establishing credible plans for achieving universal access within an agreed time frame.
”Government should champion change through better planning and a more integrated approach between the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) education and health sectors.
“More money should be properly invested and there should be improved transparency in monitoring and reporting because a school without basic access to water, decent toilets and good hygiene should not be called a school.
”Education and finance ministers in every country as well as donors must recognise the fundamental importance of water, sanitation and hygiene in schools in improving education.”
She said that school sanitation must meet the specific needs of girls to ensure privacy, safety and dignity.
“Toilets should be in appropriate locations with good lighting, solid doors and locks to avoid children fallen victims to rapist and kidnappers.
”Female children should be taught about menstruation and given what they need to care for themselves properly during their periods including clean water and soap.’’
Aniagolu-Okoye, however, said that school sanitation must be inclusive enabling children with disabilities to use clean, safe, accessible toilets.