An international agency, Water Aid Nigeria on Tuesday in Abuja revealed that about 13 per cent of all under five deaths in the world occurred in Nigeria.
The Country Representative for the organization, Mr Michael Ojo stated during the 2013 Global Hand Washing Day with the theme ‘The power is in your hands’ that children continued to suffer from diarrhoeal diseases with nearly 100,000 children under the age of five dying from the disease in Nigeria every year.
Ojo added that about 75,000 of these deaths could be attributed to the country’s poor levels of access to water and sanitation.
He explained that hand washing with soap can reduce the incidence of diarrhoea among children under 5 by almost 50 per cent, and respiratory infections by nearly 25 per cent.
He said: “The United Nations Children’s Fund estimates that 13% of all under-five deaths in the world occur in Nigeria.
“Children continue to suffer disproportionately from diarrhoeal diseases – nearly 100,000 children under the age of five die of diarrhoea in Nigeria every year. About 75,000 of these deaths can be attributed to the country’s poor levels of access to sanitation and water.
“Research has shown that hand washing with soap can reduce the incidence of diarrhoea among children under 5 by almost 50 per cent, and respiratory infections by nearly 25 per cent.
“The heartbreaking fact is that this dire situation can be avoided and the number of deaths vastly reduced if people have basic knowledge of good hygiene, effective sanitation and the simple practice of washing hands with soap or ash at critical times.”
