Ministries Sign MoU on Ending Open Defecation
The Federal Ministries of Water Resources and Health have signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) yesterday on how to end Open Defecation across the country.
The Minister of Water Resources, Engr Suleiman Adamu, and his colleague, Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, both signed the MoU on behalf of their Ministries on basically outlining their Ministries’ responsibilities and roles on ending the menace in the country.
Explaining the essence of the MoU, Adamu said due to an urgent need to tackle the menace headon ahead of the 2025 deadline to end Open Defecation in Nigeria, hence the collective move to use the strategic solution of upscaling provision, accessibility and sustainability of Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) infrastructure to drastically reduce mortality rates traceable to poor access to these infrastructure in the country.
However, the Minister expressed optimism and hope that the move by both ministries such collaborative engagement and involvement between these strategic ministries would ensure improvement on accessibility to WASH services that would change the narrative in a short time.
Minister also pointed out the deplorable state of Water Sanitation and Hygeine services in the country as contained in the WASH Diagnotic Report released in 2017.
The Healthwash Programme which is basis of the MoU is designed to identify the wash needs and bridge the wash services gaps across our health care facilities with focus on the primary health care facilities.
He further stated that the health wash programme is expected to serve as a catalyst to spur investment in health care facilities leading to universal wash coverage in care centers.
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The MoU details the obligation of the parties, the frameworks for the programme coordination, delivery as well as financing, monitoring and evaluation.
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He also emphasized that the MoU is being bequeathed to the next Administration to sustain the progress done in the wash sector.
He said: “The issues of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, WASH, are crosscutting issues that impact on different sectors including the health, education and as well as economy, among others.”
He added that the Health WASH Programme is designed to identify the WASH needs and bridge the WASH service gap across our Health Care Facilities with focus on the Primary Health Care Facilities. Through this initiative, the Federal Government is leading by example in the provision of adequate WASH services to its own managed health facilities.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, noted that the WASH programme has been a major game changer in the health sector.
Ehanire further emphasised the importance of accessibility of Nigerians to potable water that would drastically reduce the worrisome high mortality rate figures occasioned by poor hygiene services and infrastructure.
According to him 60 per cent of infant mortality is attributed to diarrhoea, and malaria. This has to do with poor sanitation, poor quality of water and stagnant dirty water.
He added that with this development the interrelated issues of WASH services will be addressed and also said there is need for such collaborations to boost the sector and beneficial to Nigerians’ health.
Earlier at the event the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Water Resources, Didi Walson-Jack mni, in her opening remarks noted that the collaboration between the two Ministries will help in addressing the problems of poor water sanitation and hygiene services in healthcare facilities for the general wellbeing of the populace.
