As early as 5am, the public refuse dumping site close to Yidi Agodi in
Ibadan, southwest Nigeria is a beehive of activities - not by sanitary
inspectors and hygiene officers - but by individuals who have found the
place the best (or most convenient) place to defecate, even though a
bold notice threatens 'open defecators' with huge fines.
The site is unique because it is very close to a stream that empties
into a major river hence the grave medical implications of open
defecation to the aquatic niche and human lives in extension.
Furthermore, flies are flying around the area and could easily perch on
uncovered foods and fortify such meals with potentially harmful
ingredients.
The story is the same at major refuse dumping sites across the city and
by extension the entire nation. The belief is that if refuse could be
allowed, so should fecal materials since they'll all be incinerated or
allowed to decompose.
To some extent this is true but the reality is that incineration and
decomposition are not immediate processes. Before refuses are picked up
and treated accordingly in Nigeria, the sites dump site must be full
thus allowing vectors of diseases including cholera to carry out their
essential phases in disease progression.
Why Nigerians defecate openly
Housing is a major reason why open defecation is a major issue in
Nigeria. Even in 2014, it is still worthy to note that the number of
houses without toilets outnumber those with appreciable toilet
facilities.
Owners of such houses believe the toilet would be an additional burden since money would be neded to keep it clean and usable.
In houses popularly called face-me-I-face-you, there could be 8 rooms
occupied by 8 families without toilets hence members of such houses are
compelled to defecate at open spaces such as dump sites and on the bank
of slowly flowing streams and rivers.
This is a major reason why cholera outbreaks are rampant in Nigeria.
Government's ineptitude
Although governments at all levels are urging owners of buildings to
make sure there are toilets, they are usually unable to enforce such
advices believing that it could present them as harsh and disconnected
to the plight of the poor citizens.
Public toilets
Local and state governments in Nigeria are attempting to tackle open
defecation by putting up public toilets in communities where a large
number of houses don't have public toilets. The shortcoming however is
that a fee (about 20 cents) is asked whenever individuals want to use
such facilities.Even though the cost is inexpensive, many would prefer
to openly defecate and save some money.
What could work
Free is key is combating open defecation in Nigeria and other developing
countries. When public toilets are ubiquitous and cosmopolitan,
individuals - especially residents of the community - will have no
choice than to use such facilities if they are well cleaned.
If public toilets cannot be sustained using a free government-funded
model, then a paying model that levies a community could be adopted.
Such a model would be easier to maintain and sustain over the years.
Awareness may not change much
Even though awareness is good, it won't change much as far as open
defecation is concerned. There is no amount of awareness that would
change people's minds about defecating openly when there are no
affordable, sanitary and better options - secretly or openly, feces must
be excreted.
Therefore, regulatory agencies, governments at all levels and
stakeholders should intensify efforts to ensure that in the long-term,
every house in Nigeria has toilets; and in the short term, public
toilets are everywhere and people can use it for free - or made to think
they aren't paying for it.
United Nations' 1 billion estimate of people forced to openly defecate
could not be far from the truth; and many of the people involved are
aware that they are at a high risk of contracting cholera, typhoid,
hepatitis, diarrhea, worm infections, reduced physical growth, impaired
cognitive function and under-nutrition.
The message is already out there, what remain missing are available and affordable better options.
This post also appears on HealthNewsNG.com
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