The National Orientation Agency (NOA) in Abia State has appealed to communities in the rural areas of the state to embrace safe excreta disposal and also avoid traditional practices that breed diseases.
It said communities must take concrete actions to ensure that every household has a latrine and hand washing facilities.
The agency made the call during a sensitisation campaign at Idim Abam community in Arochukwu Local Government Area of the state.
The NOA sensitisation campaign was run by representatives from UNICEF, Ministries, Departments and Agencies during which they interacted with members of the community with focus especially on how to improve on the adoption of essential family practices.
The Director of NOA, Dr Ngozi Uduma, said the campaign was to enable the agency interact with women of diverse ages on issues pertaining to sleeping under insecticide treated nets, safe excreta disposal and the need for household latrine.
It was also aimed at stopping some traditional practices which seem comfortable but bred diseases, she said.
She assured that UNICEF would put forward mechanisms that would ensure follow-ups on all the commitments made.
The director said UNICEF’s independent investigation and assessment of the last immunization exercise in the community showed that not much was achieved and urged the people to show more commitment.
She explained that the international partner had expected increased immunisation and environmental sanitisation participation, among others, saying that the sensitisation campaign was expected to improve the health and living standards of the communities.
She further said that town union leaders were chosen to lead the campaign in the communities because they were in a position to influence action and mould opinion of the people.
The action plan of a particular community would depend on the needs or problems of the community.
The idea, according to her, was to involve the communities in the development of their area as government alone could not do everything.
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