WHO: E-Waste Poses Health Hazards To Nigerian Women, Children

According to Dr. Edwin Isotu-Edeh, a National consultant of the Public Health and Environment, World Health Organisation (WHO) Nigeria, pregnant women and children who work in electronic waste (e-waste) dismantling sites across the country were the most vulnerable to the negative health implications.

Isotu-Edeh disclosed this during a webinar on Electronic Waste and Public Health in Nigeria, which was jointly organised by the Federal Ministry of Health, the Federal Ministry of Environment, and other MDAs with support from WHO.

He said e-waste contains over 1000 different chemical toxicants that negatively impact human health and the environment; noting that pregnant women and children working in e-waste dismantling sites were most vulnerable to impact and exposure.

Isotu-Edeh said the sustainability of the e-waste and health intervention is key to protecting Nigeria’s gains in maternal and child health, adding that the government at all levels needs to invest more in reducing rising cases of cancers and other non-communicable diseases (NCDs) by protecting the environment from toxic and hazardous substances.

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The director, of Climate Change and Environmental Health, the Federal Ministry of Health, Dr. Shuaibu Bonji, restated the federal government’s commitment to public health safety.

Bonji, who was represented by Dr. Jaggu Akolo, noted that the ministry was working to end the challenges of e-waste across the country, calling for more sustained partnership from all stakeholders.

The lead consultant, C-Circle Research, Dr. Chimere Ohajinwa, called on all tiers of government to invest in home-grown research and stop relying on foreign evidence.

She stated that with the increasing dependence on technology, Nigeria would continue to increase its amount of e-waste products, adding that awareness creation on e-waste management must be increased.