100,000 Nigerian Children Die of Water Borne Diseases Annually, Says UNICEF

The Communication Specialist with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Mr. Geoffery Njoku, has said more than 100,000 Nigerian children less than five years die each year due to water borne diseases.

The UNICEF Communication specialist with Kano Field Office, Malam Rabiu Musa, in a statement on Sunday in Kano quoted Njoku that the figures was according to the European Union (EUs) report which said the diseases, including diarrhea, of which 90 percent is directly affected, is attributed to unsafe water and sanitation.

 “The lack of WASH facilities in schools is of serious concern as children who do not have access to water, are most likely to lose interest in pursuing learning opportunities. Because they are forced to spend more time in search for water during school hours or stay out of school to recover from illness caused by frequent episodes of diarrhea.

 “Access to clean drinking water is a human right – just like the right to food and the right to live without torture and racial discrimination”, he said.

 He further explained that data from the WASH National Outcome Routine Mapping (WASH NORM) shows that 47 million Nigerians practice open defecation, and only 11 percent have access to complete basic water, sanitation and hygiene services.

 Njoku added that only 13 percent of schools have access to basic water and sanitation services.

“Ending open defecation and making water, sanitation, and hygiene services available to all Nigerians is one of the biggest challenges as construction and management of facilities requires sustained investments and more partnerships, especially with the private sector.

“The Nigeria Government should invest three times more in the water sector, making sure that every Nigerian has access to clean water and a toilet as the lack of access to water is impacting their wellbeing, specially of the most vulnerable.

“The EU, through UNICEF, is supporting the Government of Nigeria to achieve the objectives of the national campaign on an open defecation free Nigeria launched last year and the state of emergency declared on the WASH sector by the President in 2018,″ he said.

According to the specialist, about one million people in six Local Government Areas of Jigawa and Kano States will benefit from improved access to safe water and sanitation facilities provided by the UNICEF in those areas.

The benefitting areas are Madobi, Takai, Gaya and Kabo Local Government Areas of Kano State.

 He pointed out that EU has funded programmes support WASH projects in urban and rural areas through the provision of water schemes, technical assistance and capacity development to sector institutions and agencies responsible.

According to him, other area the EU is supporting is to ensure improved access to safe water, adequate sanitation and hygiene services in communities.

 “The EU has invested more than 250 million Euros in the Nigerian water sector, aimed at improving the WASH conditions of more than 10 million people in 14 States across the country.

Built with support from the EU, the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) facilities will go a long way towards ensuring that people in Nigeria have access to safe WASH services.