In commemoration of the 2023 World Water Day, an NGO, Community Health, Justice and Peace Initiative for Development (JDPH) has called on Plateau government to ensure more funding for water and sanitation sector in the state.
Naanpet Polycarp, JDPH Wash Officer, made the call in a press statement on Wednesday in Jos.
According to the officer, there was need for urgent action from the state government to include safe water and sanitation in their plans to address the inadequate water and sanitation services in the state.
Polycarp explained that the 2021 National Outcome Routine Mapping (WASHNORM) disclosed that lack of sufficient funding for the sector had made it difficult for residents of the state to live healthy lifestyle.
”The WASHNORM has indicated that the lack of sufficient funding in the water and sanitation sector in Plateau is inadequate considering not reaching the 10 per cent threshold of annual budget and other finding on this is lack of releases of the inadequate fund allocated to the WASH Sector.
”Only 52 per cent of the entire population in the state have access to basic water supply leaving 48 per cent population without this important component of life, only 30 per cent of the population in Plateau have access to Basic Sanitation.
”Only nine per cent of schools, three per cent of health care facilities and three per cent of public places such as market, motor parks, have access to basic WASH services.
”Only nine per cent of the people in the state have access to basic hygiene services,” he said.
The officer maintained that so far, too little resources are spent on helping the most vulnerable people to have access to water and sanitation which is putting the health and lives of millions at risk.
He called on the government to recognise the vital role clean water plays in helping their people to be more resilient to disease and work to address this urgent threat now so that future generations can stay safe and healthy
JDPH is an NGO of the Catholic Province of Jos working in Plateau and the six north East States of Nigeria.
Its key thematic areas include; Water, sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), Risk Management, Food security, livelihood, Institutional Development and Good governance.
