Dr Abdulkadeer Baba, the One-Health Focal Officer of Bauchi State Ministry for Agriculture, has advocated for proper management of animal waste to reduce water-borne diseases in the state.Abdulkadeer stated in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that consuming contaminated water is a threat to the public especially during the rainy season. According to him, the population of children and aged people in the society and the need for portable drinking water could not be over-emphasised in averting the spread of preventable diseases.
The expert said that about 75 per cent of emerging diseases in human beings are zoonotic. “75 per cent of emerging diseases are zoonotic and it is documented that 80 per cent are transmitted through water. People having poultry and farms should devise a means of managing their waste, so that running water will not wash them into sources of drinking water,” he said.
He said that open defecation among animals could also contaminate sources of water through micro-organism.
Baba advised members of the general public to end indiscriminate dumping of animal waste to support health systems in the state.(NAN)
