ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- The Network of Water Rights Initiative (NEWARI), a non governmental organization, has called on the Enugu State Government to ensure the safety of water consumed by residents to prevent the outbreak of cholera.
Enugu Coordinator, Amb. Amaka Nweke, made the plea in a statement on Monday in Enugu, emphasizing the need for proactive measures to address the root causes of waterborne diseases.
While acknowledging the government’s efforts in water and sanitation, Nweke urged the deployment of a systems-change-approach to monitor water quality, regulate water tankers, and implement household water treatment schemes like filtration, boiling, and disinfection.
She also stressed the importance of regular water quality testing, monitoring, and citizen education on the dangers of unsafe water.
“The network urges the Enugu State Government to adopt proactive measures to ensure that the water consumed by its residents is safe,” she said.
NEWARI’s call comes as the state commissioner for health, Prof. Emmanuel Obi, recently declared that Enugu had not recorded any confirmed cholera cases.
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The organization seeks to promote access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene services across Nigeria, and its message is clear: prioritizing water quality can protect residents from cholera and other waterborne diseases.
The NEWARI official said that the state government should deploy systems-change-approach to address the root cause of waterborne diseases.
She urged the government to monitor the quality of water being delivered by water tankers to households in the state.
“These suppliers are the primary sources of water for many households in the state. There is need to adopt household water treatment schemes such as filtration, boiling, and disinfection.
“This will be a critical step to prevent an outbreak and spread of cholera and other waterborne diseases in the state.
“It is important to effectively regulate the operations of water tankers to ensure that they provide safe and potable water,” she said.
Nweke further suggested regular water quality testing, monitoring and citizen education on the dangers of unsafe water.
“Our message is that the government can protect its residents from the scourge of cholera and other waterborne diseases by simply prioritising water quality and water services delivery.
“As an organisation, we appreciate the government’s effort so far in water and sanitation issues, we cannot afford to be complacent at this time, we must remain resilient,” she said.