Practicing good hygienic behaviour has to be integrated into routine clinic days such as ante-natal days and the immunisation days, so that on every clinic day health officials will be enlightening the public on basic things that need to be done in guarding against an epidemic such as cholera.
Mrs Grace Uwadiale, the Consultant on Kimberly Clark Sanitation and Hygiene Implementation Project, made the call in Lagos on Tuesday, July 16, 2024, during a sensitisation on Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) procedures organised in conjunction with WaterAid Nigeria to curtail the spread of the deadly disease in Ikorodu North Local Council Development Area (LCDA).
While listing the five key Hygiene Behaviours to include: proper handwashing, food hygiene, use of clean toilets, menstrual hygiene and drinking of clean and safe water, the consultant however noted that “if Lagosians imbibe the culture of practicing the five key Hygiene Behaviour before now, the spread of cholera outbreak would not be as severe as we currently have it now, so we need to start reinforcing the key hygiene behaviour to the people”.
According to her, the 10-day sensitisation programme targeting over 200, 000 residents both in Ikorodu North and Ojodu Council Development Area which kicked-off on July 8, 2024, was organised to support the Lagos State Government in its fight against the cholera outbreak.
“Aside from sensitising the people, we’ve gone a step further in supporting the government by procuring Water Purification Tablet, Anti-Bacteria Handwash Liquid to be distributed to households, and even Oral Rehydration Salts (ORS Solution) for people who have already contacted the ailment,” she confirmed.
While commending efforts of the Lagos State Government, the Sanitation and Hygiene Consultant advocated more enforcement of sanitation laws to prevent outbreak of communicable diseases especially where Primary Healthcare Centres and schools are situated.
In his submission, Prince Adeniran Ogunbanwo, WASHCOM Coordinator and Chairman, Community Development Committee in Ikorodu North LCDA, who admitted that most of the environments are dirty, also noted that the government has a lot of forces to compel the people to do the right thing. Without a little force some people will not realise the fact that they need to clear their environment, he submitted.
“I will advise that the government move in the environmental officials into areas just like we have it in the past, this will make people sit up and do the needful. I recall that, back in the days, Nigerians were so disciplined that they don’t litter the environment with dirt of all sorts. But now, the reverse is the case as people don’t care anymore. They dump refuse indiscriminately which leads to epidemic such as cholera we have in our midst today.”
Ogunbanwo, however, lauded the reintroduction of environmental sanitation by the State Government but urged LAWMA and other agencies to be alive to their responsibilities of evacuating waste generated at the grassroots promptly.
In his reaction, Mr. Lambert Umoru, WASHCOM Chairman of Ojodu LCDA, commended WaterAid Nigeria and its partners for investing in building WASH facilities across the state while appealing to residents to make good use of the knowledge gained during the sensitisation programme to improve their environment for a cleaner and healthier Lagos.
Some of the communities the WASH sensitisation programme are being implemented in Ikorodu include Agbede, Sabo, Lambo Lasunwon, Odo-Nla, Losi-Oba, Isiu, Parafa, Itamaga and Olorunda.
Also, in Ojodu LCDA residents of areas such as Berger, Gbadamosi, Aguda, Akiode, Oke-Ira, Oluwole, and Agidingbi were sensitised on how best to maintain good hygiene behaviour in the fight against cholera outbreak.
The 10-day Sanitation and Hygiene Improvement Integrated Health Hygiene programme was carried out under the supervision of the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources and other agencies.
By Ajibola Adedoye
