Sanitation, A Key To Healthy Living. By Ogundana Michael Rotimi

More people today are affected by the negative impacts of poor sanitation than by wars, terrorism, natural disasters, and weapons of mass destruction all combined. This is because most of the world’s prevailing and well reported diseases globally such as Malaria, Typhoid, Cholera, Schistosomiasis, Diarrhea, Trachoma, Intestinal worm diseases, just to mention a few are caused by poor sanitation.

Sanitation, as defined by Wikipedia, is the hygienic means of promoting health through prevention of humans contact with the hazards of waste. Hazards are physical, microbiological, or chemical agents of diseases. While wastes that can cause health problems are human and animal faeces, solid waste, domestic wastewater (sewage water), industrial wastes, and agricultural wastes.

Statistics has shown that poor or improper sanitation play a role in more than 80% of the diseases regularly reported by the World Health Organisation (WHO), nearly one quarter of all deaths and of the total disease burden. It also shows that about 40% of the world`s population is affected by poor sanitation, which is expected to rise to 50% by 2025 if not properly combated. It is against this backdrop that all important call for proper and effective sanitation is hinged.

Our daily activities expose our environment to various waste and contaminants, but often, we fail to get rid of these contaminants from our environments. The importance of isolation of waste and proper sanitation of our environments lies in an effort to prevent diseases, which can transmit via human waste.

Lack of proper sanitation is now a menace in our society, which provides the ideal opportunity for many infections to spread, plenty of waste and excreta for flies to breed on and unsafe water to drink, wash with, or swim in. Hence, predisposing us to diseases that are harmful to our health and causing unpleasant conditions for us.

Therefore, the actualisation of proper sanitation and safe environment is pertinent, and begins with YOU and I. This is because, if we must save our world and save our soul, we must save our environment first. This can only be achieved by proper sanitation such as: Proper disposal of waste, Proper cleaning and maintenance of drainage system, Fumigation, Clearing and cleaning of dirty environment, Safe disposal of sewage (Human urine and faeces) etc.

 It is obvious that the importance of proper sanitation cannot be over emphasized. Therefore, let us come together and be part of the solution, which is keeping our environment clean because a healthy environment, is a healthy you!

God Bless Nigeria

Ogundana Michael Rotimi

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