Poor access to water leads to high mortality rate – Ayade

Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River State has identified poor access to clean water and sanitation as some of the major reasons for the high mortality rate in children under five.

Speaking through the director general of Cross River State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr Betta Edu, during the World Water Day, the governor said:

“Contaminated drinking water and poor sanitation increase the risk of children contacting water-borne diseases.

“If we imbibe the culture of washing our hands at least four times in a day, it will save a lot of hospital visit.”

Ayade said the state was committed to water sanitation by ensuring that everyone has access to quality potable clean water and sanitation, adding that his government had drilled 50 boreholes across the state to ensure clean water for the people.

The governor disclosed that his government had also earmarked 15 million US Dollars investment on water sanitation for the next five years, stressing that the state was still committed to being the first open defecation state in West Africa.