Hygiene: NYSC sensitise communities in Gombe against environmental pollution
Hygiene: NYSC sensitise communities in Gombe against environmental pollution
The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Gombe State, on Saturday embarked on environmental sanitation to sensitise residents of the state on the need to keep a cleaner environment.
Tagged: “Clean Environment/Good Hygiene: Panacea for Good Health and Long Life,” the state Coordinator of the scheme, Mrs Ada Imoni flagged off the exercise at Bolari community in Gombe Local Government Area of Gombe state.
Imoni noted that environmental sanitation had been recognised globally as one of the key requirements for the prevention of diseases and their escalation to epidemic proportion.
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She said the scheme had embarked on a nationwide exercise in this regard as part of efforts to step up enlightenment especially in rural communities.
She added that the campaign would be on the health risks of poor hygiene with a particular focus on the prevention of food and water contamination as well as the need to avoid polluting the environment.
According to her, the exercise would further seek to ensure that residents of Gombe state are made to understand the need for a clean environment as the best solution to good health and long life.
“To achieve this, every member of the community will have to be mobilised for participation which will feature sensitisation, disease surveillance and report of outbreaks.”
She said as part of the exercise, corps members in the state would embark on cleaning the environment to serve as an example and to further penetrate the message to the people.
According to the Coordinator, the public will be educated on decontamination of foods due to exposure, disinfection of the environment, handling toxic materials, susceptibility and risky habits.
“How best to handle bush burning, pollution and waste disposal and the need to support the healthy ecosystem by taking advantage of the wet season to plant more trees.”
On his part, Mr John Guli, an Assistant Director, Sustainable Development Goal (SDGs), NYSC Directorate Headquarters, Abuja who was in the state to monitor the exercise said he was impressed with the turnout of corps members.
Guli said the essence of the exercise was to strengthen awareness in the area of healthy living through environmental consciousness and sanitation.
He added that most people do not see the connection between their health and their environment, “so we are here to connect that for them and ensure that they live healthy through personal and environmental hygiene.”
“If people are aware of their health, our health facilities will not be overstretched because most diseases are those that can be controlled through hygiene.”
Also speaking, Dr Umar Musa, Environmental Health Superintendent, Gombe state Environmental Protection Agency (GOSEPA) commended the NYSC for the exercise.
Musa noted that the health of humanity depended on the health of the environment, hence, called for more awareness against environmental pollution, water pollution and climate change.
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He stated that the state government had been embarking on initiatives towards ensuring a cleaner Gombe state where health risks from environmental pollution are minimised through proper environmental sanitation and hygiene.
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Alhaji Ahmed Abubakar, the District Head of Bolari appreciated the NYSC for launching the exercise in his district, adding that the event was timely.
Hygiene: NYSC sensitise communities in Gombe against environmental pollution
