ASSESSMENT OF IMPACT OF ENVIRONMENTAL SANITATION ON INSECT INFESTATION CONTROL IN MALUMFASHI LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF KATSINA STATE

CHAPTER ONE

Introduction

• Background of the Study

In most developing countries assessing the impact of environmental sanitation towards pest infestation control in the study area has not been strictly adhered to. For example in some parts of Nigeria, living with waste as part of the natural environment has become a way of life. Although there has been a remarkable improvement from what it used to be in the late eighties/early nineties, there is still much to be done as Lagos, our “Nigerian Centre of Excellence”, has been depicted a vast slum (Alabi, 2019). In the United States, slum is often used to refer to marginalized neighbourhoods, but in developing countries, it usually means a settlement built in or near a city by residents themselves, without official authorization or regulation. Such housing units are typically substandard, and the infrastructure and services range from nonexistent to improvise (Alabi, 2019).

Furthermore, environmental hazards are responsible for about a quarter of the total burden of disease worldwide and as much as 30% in regions such as sub Saharan Africa. As many as 13 million deaths can be prevented every year by making our environments healthier. These facts and figures highlight the impact of environmental factors on public health. More than 2.4 billion people in the world currently lack access to adequate sanitation and are forced to dispose of their excreta in unimproved and unsanitary conditions. Those who suffer from this, lack most basic human needs and also tend to be victims of poverty, ill health and an overall poor quality of life (World Health Organisation WHO  ;    2013). In developing countries like Nigeria, the main diseases of the environment are diarrhoeal disease, lower respiratory infections, unintentional injuries, and malaria. In children under the age of five, one third of all disease is caused by the environmental factors such as unsafe water and air pollution (WHO, 2010). The poor state of food sanitation in the country has been shown to play a significant role in the etiology of food borne diseases. One of the most significant diseases that arise from poor sanitation is diarrhea. Deaths resulting from diarrhea are estimated to be between 1.6 and 2.5 million every year (WHO, 2012). National records show that every year, about six hundred thousand (600,000) episodes of diarrhoea occur in children under the age of five (Alabi, 2010). Similarly, there have been increasing numbers of cases of cholera over the years. From January to December 2010, Nigeria reported 41,787 cases including 1,716 deaths from 222 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in 18 States of the country. The most affected states were Borno, Bauchi and Katsina. In addition to the disease burden, Nigeria loses about N455 billion annually which is equivalent to 1.3% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), due to poor sanitation as reported by water and sanitation program of the World Bank (Vanguard 2013). Most of the affected are young children below the ages of five. Other diseases that are caused by poor sanitation include schistosomiasis, trachoma, soil transmitted helminthiases, and malaria (WHO, 2013). Vector-borne diseases constitute major health problems in Nigeria. Malaria, a highly endemic vector borne disease, remains one of the five leading causes of morbidity and mortality among children below the age of five years and pregnant women.

It also accounts for remarkable economic loss thus contributing significantly to poverty and underdevelopment. Malaria along with other important endemic vector-borne diseases such as Onchocerciasis (River Blindness) and other Filariasis, Schistosomiasis, Yellow Fever and Trypanosomiasis have remarkable social, economic and political implications. While their spread is often enhanced by factors such as population growth, urbanization, the opening up of previously sparsely inhabited areas for development projects, migrations, refugees, and conflicts; previous efforts to control them with massive and widespread use of chemicals (pesticides) have had serious consequences on the quality of the environment.

• Statement of the Problem

Poor sanitation accounts for almost 50 percent of a child being underweight since it has a direct link to diarrhea. Pest infestation is a serious issue that is affecting most parts of the world especially the developing countries. On a global scale, the most affected are students and youth who in most cases lose their lives due to diseases caused by drugs. There is an increasing national consciousness on the need for judicious management of the Nigerian drugs in a sustainable manner. Therefore, ensuring improved standard awareness in which has become high on the political agenda of Government in the democratic dispensation. This was demonstrated in the creation of the Federal Ministry of Environment to address amongst other things, the problems of poor Environmental Sanitation and is expected to engender improved productivity and foster equitable share of the job and joy of national economic development.( Anderson CL; et. al (1978).

The environmental sanitation-related diseases exacerbate poverty by diminishing productivity and household income. In addition, the national cost of lost productivity, reduced educational potential and huge curative health costs constitute a major drain on the local and national economy. Besides, a dirty environment with its attendant health consequences, prevailing in most of our cities, can discourage tourists/investors and undermine the economic benefit of tourism to the country. Consequently, wide-ranging actions are required to solve Environmental Sanitation problems in order to reduce and avert their adverse health, economic and developmental effects. Therefore, this study assesses the sanitary conditions in an urban community in Katsina State, Rimi Local Government Area Northern Nigeria.

• Aim and Objectives of the Study

The main aim of this research is to assess the impact of environmental sanitation towards pest infestation control in Malumfashi Local Government Area.

Other objectives are:

To identify the various ways that environmental sanitation could improve pest control.

To identify various problems associated with poor sanitation and pest infestation.

To offer suggestion and recommendation on the public ways that environmental sanitation and pest control could be improved.

To find out the importance of environmental sanitation towards the control of pest infestation.

To health educate the general public on the importance of environmental sanitation on the pest control.

• Significance of the Study

It can serve as a reference document to the student who wishes to make a research or further knowledge in the field of environmental health related sector.

The project will give out solution and recommendation that when practically will help in changing attitude, knowledge (awareness) and skills of the community members in the prevention insect burn disease.

The study will help government understand the need to provide adequate sanitation equip and facilities for better environmental sanitation.   .

• Research Questions

This study attempt to answer the following questions:

Does environmental sanitation have impact in control of pest?

Is there any health problems associated with poor sanitation in Malumfashi local government area?

1.6 Hypothesis

The following hypothesis was formulated to guide the study:

1. Environmental sanitation does not have significant impact in control if pest in Malumfashi L.G.A.
2. Here are no significant health problems (inset torn diseases) associated with porn environmental sanitation in Malumfashi L.G.A

1.7 Scope and Delimitation of the Study:

This study attempts to investigate the impact of environmental sanitation on pest infestation in Malumfashi L.G.A of Katsina State. The study was delimited to impact of environmental sanitation in control of domestic pest as well as diseases associated with poor environmental sanitation. The study was also delimited to 5 out of 11 political words in Malumfashi L.G.A. it was finally delimited to 50 female households in Malumfashi L.G.A

1.8 Operational Definition of Terms

Community: – Is a group of people living together in the same geographical location for purpose of understanding productive activities and satisfaction of their needs.

Community mobilization: Is the process of a rousing the interest of people so that they will actively involved in finding the solution of their problems.

Community participation: Is the participation of people in planning the health needs.

Epidemiology: is the study of the distribution of disease in a human population against the back ground of their total environment.

Health: Is a state of completely physical, mental and social well-being of an individual not merely absence of disease or infirmity.

Health promotion: Is a process of enabling people to increase control over and improving their health.

Immunization: Is the act of inoculating an individual with antigenic material for the purpose of stimulating his body to produce antibody called immunity.

Mobilization: Is a process of behavioural change in individual negative attitude of health and co-opting the positive once.

• Environmental sanitation: Refers to the control of all those factors in the physical environment which exercise a harmful effect on human being physical development, health and survival
• Pest: Refers to an annoying or troublesome person, animal, or thing; nuisance. Synonyms: annoyance an insect or other small animal that harms or destroys garden plants, trees, etc.
• Pest infestation: Refers to A pest infestation is when a species that is considered a ‘pest’ infiltrates a location or area, whether individually or in a group. This can place those in the affected environment, and the environment itself, at increased risk of health-related problems or damage.
• Impact: Refers to The impactthat something has on a situation, process, or person is a sudden and powerful effect that it has on them.
• Insect burn diseases: Refers to Insect-borne diseases are viral and bacterial illnesses from insect (bug) bites