Speaking to HealthNews.NG in Lagos, Dr Jibola says public toilets are a saving grace for many Nigerians
A medical doctor with the Lagos State Health Service, Dr. A. A. Jibola, has described toilets as basic social amenities, he said this in a chat with HealthNews.NG in Lagos.
When asked if public toilets are safe, he said there are situations where public toilets come as a saving grace for many.
“There is no reason why public toilets can’t be used as long as they are kept clean”. He went further to say that since it is a room we all visit at least once a day, If they are well taken care off then it should be safe,”Dr Ajibola said.
To ensure that more Nigerians have access to toilets, he called for advocacies to encourage relevant authorities to take the provision of toilets seriously.
“Toilets are basic social amenities that should be provided, it’s a fundamental human needs or right if I can say,” he told HealthNews.NG
By 2030, the Sustainable Development Goals aim to reach everyone with sanitation, and halve the proportion of untreated wastewater and increase recycling and safe reuse. In 2015, as part of Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals, Goal number 6 (SDG 6) was launched. This goal commits the world to “ensure access to water and sanitation for all” by 2030.
But, lack of access to sanitation (toilets) has continued to a profound impact on public health, dignity, and safety. Open defecation has led to the spread of many serious and fatal diseases such as soil-transmitted helminthiasis, diarrhea and schistosomiasis.
An estimated 2.3 billion people worldwide are without toilets to safely dispose of their waste. This statistics is a major health concern to Nigeria going by the claim that the rural population in Nigeria is over 95 million in 2016.