Health

To Address Cholera Epidemic, Nigeria Commits To Ending Open Defecation by 2025

Vice President Kashim Shettima, on Thursday, said Nigeria’s federal government has commenced measures to combat the cholera epidemic by tackling the root causes, including open defecation.

He emphasised the commitment of the President Bola Tinubu administration to end open defecation by 2025.

Shettima spoke when he inaugurated the Steering Committee for the “Clean Nigeria: Use the Toilet” Campaign, at the State House, Abuja.

According to him, ending open defecation could be achieved by mobilising strategic stakeholders and leveraging technology as well as deploying innovative and sustainable solutions to boost the nation’s sanitation landscape.

The vice-president, who underscored the significance of hygiene, health, and its impact on development and wealth, urged the committee to “align with broader government priorities and interventions in areas such as poverty reduction, education, and economic growth.”

Shettima said the recently reported cases of cholera in the country should serve as sufficient motivation for the committee to work harder, just as he directed members of the committee to “craft solutions to handle wastewater management, contaminated water sources, and open defecation” across the country.

He also expressed confidence that members of the team “will commit to research-driven approaches in our bids to deliver on our promise to make the nation clean.

“We are well-aware that achieving this objective begins with our collective resolve to embrace behavioral change and cultivate a lifestyle that prioritizes proper sanitation practices, hygiene education, and community engagement.”

Shettima stressed that the goals and aspirations of the country could be best achieved by harnessing the resources available in the public and private sectors, especially by carrying out innovative research.

He stressed that, “The public sector could not succeed in this campaign unless we engage and encourage private sector participation and invite innovative and sustainable solutions.

“We must partner by utilising technology for real-time monitoring, data collection, and impact assessment while recognising the role of youth and women in driving change.”

Aside from its core mandate, Shettima tasked the committee to be vigilant in its assignment, especially “as we develop solutions to the devastations of climate change, urbanization, and population growth”, noting that “we have become ambassadors of a cause that seeks to restore the health and dignity of our people.”

The meeting which was the fifth since the flag-off of the Clean Nigeria Campaign in 2019 provided a forum to review the progress achieved so far in the country.

Earlier, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, recalled that in the bid to tackle the Cholera epidemic, which he said was ravaging the country in 33 states, with 2,000 cases and 33 deaths, the Federal Executive Council (FEC), at its last meeting, commissioned a cabinet committee to deal with the issue.

“That cabinet committee comprises Water, Education, Environment, Aviation, and almost all the relevant ministries. Open defecation is part of the drivers of this Cholera outbreak that we are seeing. But we also have a good example of a sub-national unit doing very well in Jigawa State, which has been declared open defecation-free.

“That is a good example showing that sub-national units can help us address this issue. So, we really appreciate your leadership and commit ourselves to supporting this effort so that we can end open defecation in Nigeria.”

Deji Elumoye