By Ijeoma Agbafo
A medical practitioner at the General Hospital, Oron, Akwa Ibom, Edet Effiong, has warned that open defecation contaminates drinking water sources and exposes communities to preventable diseases.
Effiong said on Monday in Lagos that human waste deposited in open spaces was often washed into rivers, streams and drainage channels during rainfall or seeped into underground water, contaminating wells and boreholes. He said the contamination exposed communities to diseases such as cholera, typhoid fever, dysentery, diarrhoea, hepatitis A and intestinal worm infections.
According to him, children are particularly vulnerable because their immune systems are still developing and they are more likely to come into contact with contaminated soil, water and surfaces. He warned that poor sanitation could also trigger public health emergencies, especially in densely populated communities, with a single contaminated water source capable of exposing hundreds of people within a short period.
The physician said hospitals often recorded spikes in diarrhoea and typhoid cases after heavy rainfall, with investigations sometimes tracing the infections to contaminated wells and boreholes located near areas where open defecation was prevalent. He added that repeated exposure to contaminated water could lead to malnutrition, stunted growth, weakened immunity and poor cognitive development in children.
Effiong urged governments to expand access to public toilets, safe drinking water and sanitation infrastructure, strengthen enforcement of sanitation regulations and sustain public awareness campaigns. He also called on communities to adopt proper hygiene practices and eliminate open defecation to safeguard public health.
