IDPs sensitised to anti-open defecation in Adamawa,

By Marlikberry,

The Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development has taken anti-open defecation campaign to the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Adamawa State.

Officials of the ministry as well as those of supporting Northeast Development Commission (NEDC) were in the Malkohi IDPs Camp in Yola South Local Government Area to pass the message of anti-open defecation and to hand over some relief materials to the IDPs.

The Ministry, which said it was targeting IDPs for the toilet-use campaign, explained that the IDPs were their direct responsibility.

Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Hajiya Sadiya Farouk who spoke through a desk officer in the Ministry, Akintola Alinsiloye urged the IDPs to use toilets provided for them to protect their health.

She explained that diarrhoea linked to open defecation is among the highest causes of death, especially of children.

Faeces defecated in the open come back to us through many ways on faecal-oral transformation routes.”

Managing Director of the NEDC, Mohammed Alkali Ali Ado represented said: “We are here in Malkohi IDPs Camp for a sensitisation workshop on the need to use the toilet rather than defecate in the open.”

He added that the IDPs and other members of society need clean and healthy environment to be healthy and thrive, saying, “the government and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have provided toilets for IDPs but the IDPs came into camps with long-held open defecation culture.

They need to imbibe the spirit of using the toilet and we are here to inculcate that spirit in them.”

He added: We need to change the psychology, the narrative of open defecation; our people must start using their toilets for a cleaner, safer country.