By Vivian Ihechu, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)

Every morning, Miss Darasinmi Agunbiade, a primary 5 learner at the LG Primary School, Adie Owe, Ado-Odo-Ota Local Government of Ogun state, wakes up very early to look for water for the household.

Agunbiade treks a long distance to get water before going to school daily.

It is the same ordeal that indigenes and residents of that community have had to endure.

In her school, there was no potable water and only one toilet serving the school – teachers and learners, thereby making water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) poor.

The narrative is not uncommon in the country  as most schools and communities, especially in semi urban and rural areas, do not have access to WASH facilities including  potable water.

According to UNICEF, water is the most basic human need for health and well-being, with water and sanitation being critical to the health of people and the planet.

Goal 6 target of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) targets is to ensure access to water and sanitation for all, bearing in mind the quality, access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene, and sustainability of water resources.

UNICEF says in Nigeria, no fewer than 69 million people do not have access to safe water, with many children spending hours every day trekking to collect water, sometimes missing out on a chance to go to school, play with friends and enjoy their childhood.

For some, in the process of passing through the ordeal of getting water where it is not easily accessible, they are molested or even lose their lives.

Corroborating, the World Health Organisation (WHO), affirms that safe drinking-water, sanitation and hygiene are crucial to human health and well-being.

It adds that safe WASH is not only a prerequisite to health, but contributes to livelihoods, school attendance and dignity and helps to create resilient communities living in healthy environments.

Water scarcity means stress to life, poor access to water for drinking, cooking and basic hygiene practices including open defecation, and these lead to dirty environment and disease outbreaks including cholera, typhoid, and diarrhoea.

As regards WASH-related burden of disease, WHO  estimates that no fewer than 1.4 million people die each year as a result of inadequate drinking-water, sanitation and hygiene.

It says that the vast majority of these deaths are in low-and middle-income countries.

Also, unsafe sanitation accounts for 564,000 of these deaths, largely from diarrhoeal disease, and it is a major factor in several neglected tropical diseases, including intestinal worms, schistosomiasis and trachoma.

Recognising hygiene as a crucial component of the Nestlé for Healthier Kids (N4HK) programme and affirming the difficulty of hygiene practice and education in the absence of basic water and sanitation facilities, Nestlé’s investment in WASH facilities for beneficiary schools underscores its commitment to comprehensive health education, enhancing quality of life and building thriving communities.

Relief came for Agunbiade, learners and educators at the school and indeed, several families within Adie Owe community, with the inauguration of WASH facilities provided by Nestlé Nigeria Plc, to  serve over 500 individuals .

The LG Primary School Adie Owe is a beneficiary of N4HK, a school-based nutrition and health education program built on four pillars: Healthy Nutrition, Healthy Hydration, Physical Activity and Hygiene.

A delighted Agunbiade said she was happy and would no longer have to endure long treks for water.

Thanking Nestlé, she said her school, which prior to now, had only one toilet, now had separate facilities for girls and boys, “making practising what we learn during the hygiene sessions in N4HK classes become much easier.”
With this, they can drink, cook, bathe, and wash with clean water.

In addition, they will practise better WASH practices, including hand washing, keeping the toilets clean and ultimately, the environment will be cleaner.

Nestlé Nigeria’s Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Manager, Victoria Uwadoka, said the company recognises  that maintaining appropriate hygiene standards and practices, a pillar of N4HK is very difficult in the absence of basic water and sanitation facilities.

“Nestlé Nigeria is committed to making access to water a reality in every school within the N4HK programme.

“This is in alignment with Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG-6), – ensuring availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all,” she said.
Uwadoka, who spoke at the inauguration of the project, said: “At Nestlé, we have invested in providing access to water and sanitation facilities in the N4HK beneficiary schools.

“In Ogun State alone, we have completed and inaugurated facilities in 10 schools, serving 4,000 learners and educators as well as members of the immediate communities,’’ she said.

Lauding the initiative, the Commissioner of Education, Science and Technology, Ogun,  Prof. Abayomi Arigbabu, represented by Mrs Adedotun Ogunleye, Zonal Education Officer for Ado Odo Ota, commended Nestlé for partnering with the state government on the provision of facilities for public schools.

“The sustained partnership with Nestlé Nigeria in promoting a conducive and sustainable environment for education is highly commendable.

“We appreciate the company for conceptualising this noble idea of provision of water and sanitation facilities in schools, which is aimed at providing a healthier environment for the safety of our children,” he said.

Dr Femi Majekodunmi, the Board Chairperson of Ogun State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) commended  Nestlé for Healthier Kids programme and for successfully implementing various developmental school programmes and projects across the 20 beneficiary schools in four local government areas of the state.

Majekodunmi was represented by Honorable Isiaka Aderohunmu, Permanent Member 2, Ogun SUBEB.
According to him, the donation of water and sanitation facilities will go a long way to boost the morale of learners and teachers and provide opportunity for the children to learn in a conducive environment.

Speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), a Public Health professional, Ms Peace Onyekwere, highlighted the implications of poor WASH and environment.

“Places with poor hygiene practices and where there is no or poor potable water, leave children and even adults vulnerable to situations that can result to microbial or bacteria ingestion.

“Drinking and cooking with unsafe water causes ailments and diseases like cholera, diarrhoea.

“It also leaves the environment unclean and dirty. One needs clean water to wash hands, bathe, clean the mouth, wash clothes, cook and clean the environment especially washing bathrooms and toilets.

“There can be contamination of the environment with animal and human feces in poor and unhygienic environment.

“An when human and animal feet carry feces deposited in the open, they bring different microbes and pathogens into the environment- homes, schools, markets, places of worship among others.

“These bacteria can cause many types of infections, depending on the one, one has been exposed to and what part of the body it infects.

“Some of bacterial infections can degenerate and lead to different ailments including sepsis , gastroenteritis (food poisoning), Hepatitis A, intestinal diseases, skin diseases among others,” she said.

She said: “When it comes to cognitive development,  there is also link between the environment,WASH, and stunting, diarrhea and anemia, of which are  known risk factors for child developmental shortfalls.

“Studies confirm that continuous exposure to fecally contaminated food, water and fomites (objects contaminated with infectious agents whereby through which infections can be passed, including toys, spoons, cups, plates, door handles),  as a result of  poor sanitation and hygiene, also causes  environmental enteropathy (EE),  a chronic disease of small intestine.

“ In addition, impaired growth occurs in children growing in poor hygiene and sanitation conditions,’’ Onyekwere said.

To improve environmental health, Dr Emeka Ude, an environmentalist, harps on the need for improved environmental health, which would require among other strategies, strong investment in diverse aspects of water  (resources, provision and management) and sanitation.

He notes that, however, this is more challenged by climate change and its impacts, with population growth and increased industrialisation,’’ he said.

Nevertheless, he says strong government leadership is required with support from private and corporate entities especially as it is estimated that currently, 2.2 billion people have limited access to safe drinking water, and by 2025, half of the world’s population will be living in water-stressed areas.

One such way private/corporate involvement is Nestlé Nigeria’s  sustainable water stewardship, targeted at providing access to safe water sources and sanitation in communities near their operations and sourcing origins.

The efforts continue  to align with the SDG 6, encouraging consistent multi-stakeholder action to increase access to and ensuring availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all, for a sustainable environment.

In conclusion, clean and accessible water is vital to our health, much as it supports communities and economy, and environment.

With water scarcity, there are environment, health, mental, education, social and economic implications, hence the need for continuous availability of clean and safe water  for the climate system, human society and the environment.
(NANFeatures)

Edited by Chinyere Joel-Nwokeoma

*****If used, kindly credit the writer and News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)