POVERTY OF THE POOR! Part 2 (A state of the Mind).
Up north where I live, seasons come and go but the years have taught us how to dress and how to welcome each season, at least, so I thought. But to my surprise we make the same mistakes year in year out. We wait for the flood each year, failing to put in measures to avert the disasters that come with the seasons.
Nigeria, a country situated in the Western Region of Africa with little to no Natural Disasters, her people have over the years, made for themselves natural disasters, stemming from poor Urban-Rural Development structures to erecting buildings on waterways to felling of trees and blockage of sewage in the metropolitan areas. When asked who is responsible for the lack of proactivity against climate disasters, we go back and forth; the people say it is the government and the government say her people should take initiative and be more responsible.
WHAT DO YOU SAY?
Flooding is the leading natural disaster in Nigeria, leading to tremendous loss of properties, infrastructure, businesses, and increased risk of communicable diseases. Flooding has been and still is the most frequent natural disaster in the world affecting over 2.8 billion people globally, causing more than 200,000 deaths over the past three decades. The World Health Organization categorized the 2012 flood disaster in Nigeria as the worst flood to have hit the country in the last 50 years.
Most flood disasters in Nigeria are avoidable as several lapses have given room for them to occur. Lapses both on the path of the authorities and residents in flood prone areas. For instance, in Kano State, there have been media reports drawing the attention of the State Government and its agencies to the prompt construction of drainages and the evacuation of heaps of dirts from flood prone areas to avert the disaster and disease outbreak that might occur since the Nigerian Meteorological Agency, NiMet had predicted that Kano, amongst other states, will experience heavy rainfalls as the season begins.
On the part of the citizens, poor environmental sanitation and laxity to be responsible for their health has been a major challenge. The citizens who for all the times, depend on government for their welfare, have failed to realise environmental protection as their responsibility.
In March 1999, the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, was established through Act 12 of 1999 as amended by Act 50 of 1999. NEMA was given the responsibility of coordinating disaster management activities for the country (Nigeria-Government 2010). The emergency agency had roles and functions that were designed for a holistic approach to disaster management as spelt out in its mission statement.
Their mission is to coordinate and facilitate disaster management efforts aimed at reducing the loss of lives and property to protect lives from hazard by leading and supporting disaster management stakeholders in a comprehensive risk-based emergency management programme of mitigation, preparedness response, and recovery. (NEMA n.d.b)
WHO NEEDS TO MANAGE DISASTER IF IT CAN BE AVERTED?
In March 2021, there was an outbreak of Cholera in Bauchi as reported. In a snap of fingers, it spread to few other states. The link below gives an updated information as of mid-2021.
Currently, as at Friday, 9th of July 2021, out of the 514 suspected cases of cholera in different states in the country, 8 have tested positive to the disease even as the rainy season still holds more to deliver.
Precisely a month after Nigeria began experiencing consecutive rainfall, we decided to do what we should have long done; clear the drainages. However, while the job is halfway, the rain falls at midnight and washes the dirts back into the drainage.
Healthcare provision in the country remains a primary function of the three tiers of government – Federal, State, and Local (Adeyemo 2005). The primary healthcare system is managed by the existing 774 LGAs in Nigeria with support from their respective Ministries of Health in the states and private medical practitioners (Omoruan, Bamidele & Phillip 2009). There are also sublevels of primary healthcare at the Village, District, and Local Government levels. The Ministry of Health at the state level manages the secondary healthcare system. Patients from primary healthcare are referred to secondary healthcare. The teaching hospitals and specialist hospitals provide tertiary healthcare. At the tertiary level, the government also works with voluntary organizations, NGOs, and private practitioners (Adeyemo 2005).
The Nigerian healthcare system has weathered several infectious disease outbreaks and chemical poisoning occurrences over decades (HERFON n.d). Several studies have reviewed the Nigerian healthcare system and offered possible recommendations to improve the state of healthcare in the country. Several healthcare reforms have been launched in Nigeria by the Federal Government to revitalize the worsening state of health over the years (Awosika 2005) – for example, the 10-year development plan from 1946 to 1956, the Primary Healthcare Plan of 1987, and the NHIS established in 2005 by Decree 35 of 1999.
The primary healthcare plan made little impact on the healthcare sector as it continued to suffer major infrastructural and personnel inadequacies as well as poor public health management (Welcome 2011). According to the review by Welcome (2011), the NHIS has hardly attained any success, as there is continued limited healthcare delivery, non equitability, and lack of access by the majority of Nigerians as reflected by high infant mortality, poor maternal care, low life expectancy, periodic outbreaks of the same diseases and inadequate control of the various outbreaks.
Summarily, for Nigeria to effectively combat the dangers of flooding, conscious effort must be made by both relevant authorities and citizens. And in cases where flooding have displaced many, the National Emergency Management Agency is expected to provide prompt response and adequate accommodation for the victims.
Credits
Proofreader - Adebonojo Michael Adeoye (A Creative Writer)
Editor & Content Developer - Caleb Jacob
(Newscaster, CoolWazobiaInfoArewa)
Writer / Content Developer - Esther Isiaka (Journalist)
Pictures/Vedio - Esther Isiaka
Excerpts:
Impacts of flood disasters in Nigeria: A critical evaluation of health implications and management
Caroline C. Olanrewaju, Munyaradzi Chitakira, [...], and Elretha Louw
WHO (World Health Organization)
NCDC
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