It has been an interesting read this week because I have been enlightened on the health related issues that affect the development of children either positively or negatively. The options of public health topics to choose from is interesting and I can not choose all so, in this post, I would be talking about accessing clean/ healthy water in my community and the new discoveries that I have encountered.
Accessing Healthy Water
In Nigeria, access to healthy water is determined by individuals because there is an allowance for citizens to decide to dig wells, boreholes, artificial dams or other means of getting clean water in their compounds. This allowance is as a result of the inconsistent function of the inter state water corporations in Nigeria. Some water corporations are either shut down completely because of lack of maintenance or proper management or they are not functioning. In Nigeria, there is no water bill like a few countries that I know of in the world.
Nigeria is mostly a capitalist society, as such, individuals own water companies that either produce table water which is commonly known as "bottled water" or sachet water which is commonly called "pure water". These companies are monitored by an agency called NAFDAC (The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control) which tries to ensure that clean water is produced. Despite this, a few companies do not pride themselves in the production of clean water because their focus is profit making.
Only those who can afford basic needs (Food,Clothing, and Shelter) can afford to dig wells and boreholes. According to Aquafield (an agency concerned about the consumption of clean water), "although ground water (depending on the depth) can be a source of "clean" water, this raw water should still be tested and ultimately treated prior to usage. The bore holes and wells are easily exposed to heavy minerals which on its own are carcinogenic like arsenic, cadmium, cobalt, lead etc. Due to the presence of these pollutants, it is necessary to test and perhaps treat this water prior to use. However, this is presently not the case due to lack of access to water test kits as well as treatment options."
This leaves families of low income and their children facing the ordeal of getting healthy water. They are faced with water pollution and bad sanitation. When they have no access to healthy water children are prone to malaria and diseases like typhoid associated to the scarcity of clean and healthy water.
The agricultural sector in Nigeria suffers from this scarcity because food security cannot be assured when there is no clean water to grow crops. Scarcity of affordable food can affect the nutrition of children. It is a great percentage of families that have no access to clean water; people who have access to water are the lowest percentage of the Nigerian population.
In conclusion, according to Joseph Muta’aHellandendu, "water scarcity is both a natural and a human – made phenomenon. There is enough freshwater on the planet for six billion people but it is distributed unevenly and too much of it is wasted, polluted and unsustainably managed." Nigeria is blessed with various sources of water like dams, rivers, springs and rocks but the uneven distribution makes access difficult; poor maintenance is also working against Nigeria. Sanitation has been a constant obstacle to the access of healthy water. Despite this, governmental and non-governmental organizations are working constantly to harness the provision and proper distribution of clean water.
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| Two major brands of bottled water in Nigeria Costs $0.70 for one |
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| Pure water in sachet Costs $0.05 for one |
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| Pure Water in bags Costs between $0.90 and $1 depending on location
References
Aquafield (n.d) Drinking Water in Nigeria Retrieved from: http://www.aquafieldservices.com/index.php/8-news/15-drinking-water-in-nigeria
Joseph Muta’aHellandendu, (n.d.) Health Implication of Water Scarcity in Nigeria. European Scientific Journal August edition vol. 8, No.18 ISSN: 1857 – 7881 (Print) e - ISSN 1857- 7431
WSMP(Water and Sanitation Monitoring Platform) (2008) NIGERIA- Country Summary Sheet, 2008 Retrieved from: http://www.unicef.org/nigeria/ng_media_Water_sanitation_summary_sheet.pdf
Images retrieved from:
http://www.ackcity.net/sachet%20water-1.jpg
http://royaltimes.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/pure-water-bags.jpg
https://nlipw.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/bottled-water-Nigeria-e1423925661328.png
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Hi,
ReplyDeleteI wrote about that same stressor in regards to clean water for children. This is something that impacts a lot of different countries and the children and families in them. Although the issue is constantly being worked on and many solutions are being created to help with this issue around the word. There is still a long way to go, but I do believe we are making a lot of progress in those countries such as Nigeria, Africa, and other places.