*says more than half of population in state have no toilet facilities
By; BAYO AKAMO, Ibadan
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has advocated immediate stoppage of open defecation in and across the nooks and crannies of Oyo State
UNICEF Chief of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) in Nigeria, Dr. Jane Bevan made the call in Ibadan on Wednesday at a one day media dialogue on the launch of open defecation free roadmap in Oyo State.
Dr Bevan declared that as at now, more than half of the population of Oyo State have no toilet facilities hence exposing it to open defecation thereby putting the children at risk wherever there is an outbreak of disease.
” More than half of the population in Oyo state does not have toilet. Majority of people here do open defecation and we have to stop it” Children suffer mostly during outbreak of disease. This is the reason we must stop open defecation.” she said .
Dr. Bevan added, “the purpose of this event is to understand the background issue. When there is an outbreak of disease like cholera and other diseases, it is the children that are usually affected most”.
” We want to eradicate open defecation. We are asking all of you to support this campaign”.
She pointed out that ” this is already having negative consequences such as outbreak of diseases such as cholera and other diseases and that one of the consequences of open defecation is outbreak of disease to which children are the mostly affected.
Speaking, Oyo State Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (RUWASSA), Chairman, Engineer Najeem Omirinde said open defecation is a serous issue and that RUWASSA ” is interested in a situation where every house will have a toilet”.
” Open defecation is a serous issue. What we are after is a situation where every individual with have toilet in their houses”.
