The Environmental Health Council of Nigeria (EHCON), has pledged to collaborate with the ministry of health and other stakeholders in the health sector to mitigate the nation’s disease burden.
The council’s Registrar, Dr Yakubu Baba, made the pledge in an interview on Thursday in Abuja.
The registrar decried the degree of disease burden in communities across the country, and attributed the rising challenge to neglect of environmental and sanitation issues.
“There is a need for a synergy between ministries of health and environment because whatever you give to environment is what you get in return; considering the disease burden, more effort is needed to take care of our environment.
“I believe that if we develop good synergy, the health system will be relieved.
“The system will not be overburdened because most of the diseases ravaging our communities today are environmental health related and sanitation problems,” he said.
He emphasised that over 97 per cent of diseases in rural communities would be eradicated if issue of sanitation were addressed effectively.
The registrar further said that such measure would enable the government to channel resources to other sectors and develop the economy.
The council boss who identified local governments as major stakeholders in environmental health issue urged them to employ adequate licenced environmental health officers.
Baba said employment of licenced professionals would enable the officers to police the environment and enforce the law.
“We call on local governments to employ adequate licenced environmental health officers so that they can police the environment and enforce law.
“This is because we have come to the level where we have to enforce and reinforce the law to make sure that we change the narrative.
“Without healthy environment we are not going anywhere, and local governments should not only employ them but also provide necessary logistics for them to work,” he said.
