Adamawa local councils partners unicef on improved strategies to stop open defecation

Adamawa local councils partners Unicef on improved strategies to stop open defecation.

From Umar Dankano, Yola.

Three local government councils have officially sealed a partnership with the United Nations Children’s Funds, (Unicef) to address open defecation and other hygiene related challenges facing their communities in Adamawa state.

The affected local government areas are Yola South, Ganye and Shelleng which available records have revealed that,the practice of open defecation by their people especially in rural areas is more pronounced and is believe to be part of factors causing outbreak of diseases in those local government areas.

In a separate interactive sessions with  Unicef officials from Bauchi field office in Yola Wednesday, the chairmen including Hon.Salihu Usman Maikohi of Yola South council, Hon Mohammed jauro Farouk of Ganye council and Abubakar Musa Abba of Shelleng local government area spoke in unison in welcoming the intervention from Unicef.

Hon.Salihu Malkohi of Yola South stated that, the initiative if given the needed awareness campaign would go a long way in changing the old narrative being exhibited by their people especially those at the grassroots.

Malkohi promised that his council will support and coorperate with the Unicef for the programme to record a huge success stressing that the initiative is a gold opportunity given to his people which he said will be guarded jealously.

Similarly the council chairmen of Ganye and Shelleng LGA’s, Mohammed Farouk and Abubakar Musa Abba expressed gratitude to the humanitarian organization (Unicef) for the concept which according to them will ensure Serene environment and wellness among their people pledging to work for the good health and prosperity of their people.

Earlier in his remarks, Social Behaviour Change (SBC) expert,Bauchi field office, George Aki told the chairmen that, available data at their disposal indicated that majority of the people in their various local councils especially at the rural areas are defecating in the open,OD which expose them to disease outbreak like cholera pandemic.

Aki explained that, the ugly development informed the move by Unicef to educate the people through several advocacy, trainings and formation of groups within the communities to ensure toilets are provided and maintained in a clean and hygiene atmosphere at homes,offices, markets,motor parks,worship places and business premises among others.

He announced that a group of ten (10) men/community members in each ward of the 3 selected local government areas will be established to be known as “Fathers for good health” with a sole role of sensitizing and educating people on hygiene behavior change on education, immunization, vaccination, Nutrition sanitation, birth registration, and other health concerns in their domains.

According to him, the Unicef would be providing technical support to the groups to ensure that, their communities stop the practice of open defecation (OD) and are recognize on the open defecation free(ODF) index stressing that the approach was done in seven local government areas in Bauchi state and it paid off.

Aki further explained that a toilet census would be conducted in each households of these wards so as to ascertain compliance with the innovative hygiene initiatives so that results from the exercise can be verified for proper evaluation of the program.

“These groups of ten men with little literacy skills and local health educators would be meeting once in every two months to access the reach for amendments and improvements where necessary.l therefore urge you (chairmen) to monitor their activities”.Aki suggested.

Speaking in the same lane, Nanbam Michael, Water Sanitation and hygiene (WASH) officer, Unicef urge the chairmen to engage experts and business partners who can build commercial toilet facilities especially in public and business premises where revenue can be attracted for the LGAs through public private partnership arrangement.

Michael advised that the chairmen to support the ODF project in their various council