Did u know ‘Diarrhoea kills 194,000 Nigerian children yearly’?

STATISTICS released by the United Nations International Children Fund (UNICEF) yesterday revealed that diarrhoea still kills about 194,000 Nigerian children under five every year.

Respiratory infections are said to have killed another 240,000, while 88 per cent of the diarrhoea deaths are attributable to unsafe water, sanitation and hygiene worldwide.

As part of the programme of ensuring improved health and general well-being of communities in Nigeria, UNICEF has empowered about 5,000 communities in Nigeria.

With the empowerment, which involved sensitisation, awareness, and use of relevant tools, UNICEF has helped the communities to achieve at least 50 per cent open defecation free status.

In a release to mark the Global Hand Washing Day, UNICEF said the communities have all identified the ill-effects of open defecation, and are using their funds and other resources to build latrines for use, thereby achieving Open Defecation Free status.

UNICEF described the development as “a very positive trend as increasingly, people live in clean environments and practise safe sanitation and hygiene practices for improved health and general well-being.”

Source:Guardian