The Executive Chairman of Itesiwaju Local Government Area of Oyo State, Hon. Monsuru Ojo Olayemi has said the council has put mechanism in place to ensure seamless collection and disposal of wastes across the principal towns of the local government.
The council helmsman stated this recently while monitoring the weekly environmental sanitation organized by the Department of Environmental and Health Services as part of activities to mark 100 his days in office.
Hon Olayemi, who was accompanied by the Supervisor for Environmental and Health Services of the council Mr Ayo Ayansiji , Secretary, Chief of Staff and other Supervisory Councillors during the inspection, emphasised the importance of hygienic environment and the aim of protecting and promoting individual health and quality of life of the inhabitants.
He stated that environmental sanitation constitutes the most effective and sustainable way of health promotion by its measure of disease and vector control as it is an intervention that breaks the cycle of diseases.
” Sanitation is broader than hygiene which simply helps to maintain health and prevent the spread of disease. Sanitation provides the ground for people to become hygienic for the maintenance of their health, reduction in morbid exposure and increase in their life-span through the promotion of cleanliness in the environment they live in.
“Environmental sanitation provides the hygienic management of human and animal excrements, solid waste, wastewater, storm water and pollution. It ensures the prevention of human contact with faeces and other noxious matter, and also enables the provision and use of washing facilities with soap for personal and domestic hygiene to stop the transmission of diseases, including diarrhea that is a main cause of malnutrition and stunted growth in children, helminthiasis, cholera, hepatitis, polio, schistosomiasis and trachoma, to name a few.
The council boss noted that limited access to sanitation has become a worldwide problem leading to stunted growth in one of every four children .
He explained further that environmental sanitation is a vital piece of health promotion among the powerful drivers of human development around the world as it affects quality of life.
According to him, It combines services with facilities to create hygienic environment that promotes health and prevents diseases.
”Lack of sanitation has negative effects, not only on public health but also on human dignity and personal safety. Efforts should therefore be intensified on enlightening the general public, especially residents of localities on the health risks of poor sanitation, with the focal point on preventing contamination of food, water and the environment for healthy living.” He concluded.n
The council boss therefore assures his total commitment towards deployment of refuse truck to all the seven principal towns that make up the council at interval for the exercise.
