Water supply and sanitation in Nigeria

One of the component of Primary Health Care is the provision of Adequate Water Supply and Basic Sanitation,since the sustainability and the viability of any country's socio-economic growth depends largely on the vibrant health sector of that nation,Water Supply and Sanitation therefore also contributes to the growth of any nation.

WHAT IS WATER SUPPLY AND SANITATION ?
Water supply and sanitation has been a primary logistical challenge since the dawn of civilization. Where water resources or infrastructure or sanitation systems are insufficient for the population, people fall prey to
disease, dehydration, and in extreme cases, death.
Major human settlements could initially develop only where fresh surface water was plentiful, such as near major rivers. Over the millennial, technology has dramatically increased the distances across which water can be relocated, but the availability of clean and fresh water remains a limiting factor on the size and density of population centers, and is expected to remain so into the foreseeable future.

WATER SUPPLY AND SANITATION IN NIGERIA 
The largest African country and the continent’s biggest oil exporter, is characterized by low levels of access to an improved water source and limited access to improved sanitation. Responsibility for water supply is shared between three levels of government – federal, state and local. The federal government is in charge of water resources management; state governments have the primary responsibility for urban water supply; and local governments together with communities are responsible for rural water supply. The responsibility for sanitation is not clearly defined. Water supply service quality and cost recovery are low. Water tariffs are low and many water users do not pay their bills. Service providers thus rely mostly on occasional subsidies to cover their operating costs. Investments are mainly financed by foreign donors and fall short of what is needed to achieve a significant increase in access.

ACCESS TO WSS IN NIGERIA
Water and sanitation coverage rates in Nigeria are amongst the lowest in the world. Access to an improved water source stagnated at 47% from 1990 to 2006, but increased to 54% in 2010. In urban areas, access to an improved water source actually decreased from 80% to 65% in 2006, but it then recovered to 74% in 2010. However, in urban areas access to standpipes substituted to a large extent to piped water access. Access to adequate sanitation decreased from 39% in 1990 to 35% in 2010, with a particularly marked decrease in urban areas. 25% of Nigerians have to use shared sanitation facilities, which are not considered as adequate. 22% are estimated to use other inadequate facilities and another 22% are estimated to defecate in the open. Adequate sanitation is typically in the form of latrines or septic tanks. Piped sewerage is almost nonexistent. Except for some parts of Abuja and Lagos, no urban community has a sewerage system.A 2006 study estimated that only 1% of Lagos households were connected to sewers.Lagos has four waste-water treatment plants which have been rehabilitated around 2010. As of 2011, the state planned to build ten new "mega waste-water treatment plants" over the next five years with the help of private investors. These have not yet been completed.

INVESTMENT
The country needs to invest approximately N215 billion (USD 1.3 billion) annually. Nigeria is currently investing not more than N82.5 billion (USD 0.5 billion) into the sector. Much of these investments are needed to rehabilitate infrastructure that has not been properly maintained. It is not clear if the estimate includes sanitation or not.

FINANCES
While all three government levels are supposed to participate in financing water and sanitation investments, local governments often do not have the resources to do so. State and federal levels also provide only limited funding. Thus, most public water and sanitation investments in Nigeria are financed by donors. The sharing of oil and tax revenues between different levels of government is a politically sensitive issue in Nigeria, which is divided between a Muslim North and a mostly Christian South and where one region in the South accounts for all oil revenues. Between 1948 and 2001, nine commissions, six military decrees, one Act of the legislature and two Supreme Court judgements have attempted to define fiscal interrelationships among the component parts of the federation without resolving the issue. Federal revenues include about 90 percent of government revenues, including oil royalties and import duties. These are pooled with the more limited state and local revenues, and the pooled resources are then shared by the three levels of government according to an agreed formula. After independence the federal government received 40% of revenues and the states 60%, an arrangement that would benefit the oil-producing region in the Niger Delta. Local governments had no share. After the Biafra War the share of federal government was increased to 80% in 1968, but was subsequently decreased again. Since the 1976 Local Government Reform, local government receives its own share of revenues. As of 1999, the share of local government was 20%, the state share was 24% and the share of the federal government and for special projects was 56%.

EXTERNAL HELP
The most important external partners in the Nigerian water supply and sanitation sector are the African Development Bank, the European Union, Japanese JICA, UNICEF, USAID, the NGO WaterAid and the World Bank. The African Development Bank and the World Bank provide loans to the government; the European Union, JICA and USAID provide grants to the government; UNICEF and WaterAid receive grants from governments and donations from the public to implement their projects in cooperation with, but not through the government.

WATER IS ALMOST AS IMPORTANT AS AIR TO HUMAN BEING
We need water in many ways while doing our day-to-day activities. We need water for the proper functioning of our body system,we need water for our domestic chore,we also need water for the performance of some professional work.Water is so essential as man cannot do without it.

AS ESSENTIAL AS WATER IS,IT ALSO SERVES AS A MAJOR MEANS OF TRANSMITTING  INFECTION

This is a major way by which our water gets infected

Various types of water infections 

• Protozoal infections
• Parasitic infections
• Bacterial infections
• Viral infections
• Algal Infections

 WATERBORNE DISEASES AND THEIR SYMPTOMS

• Cholera

Bacteria called ‘vibrio chlorae’ cause a small intestinal disease known as cholera. Symptoms of cholera include diarrhea and vomiting, as well as abdominal cramps and headache.
You acquire these bacteria when you drink water or eat food contaminated by waste products (feces) from an infected person. You can also get sick by eating contaminated vegetables that have been irrigated with contaminated water. In heavily populated places with poor sanitation and limited water resources, a single infected person can contaminate the water and affect the entire population.

• Amoebiasis (Traveller’s Diarrhea)

One of the most common diseases caused by water pollution is amoebiasis. Water contaminated by amoeba can cause infection to the large intestine as well as the liver. Symptoms can range from mild to severe diarrhea with blood and mucus.
To prevent amoebiasis, wash your hands properly using soap, use clean toilets and avoid sharing personal items.
 

• Dysentery 

Dysentery causes fever, vomiting, abdominal pain, and severe diarrhea with blood and mucus. You may also have symptoms of mild illness such as mild stomach pain and diarrhea.
It is caused by bacteria entering the mouth through contaminated water or food and poor hygiene. To prevent the disease, wash your hands regularly, maintain good hygiene and drink clean water.
 

• Diarrhea 

Infectious diarrhea is one of the most common diseases caused by water pollution. It causes frequent passage of loose, water stools that can cause dehydration and death to young children and infants.
The most common cause is a water-borne virus, but bacteria and parasites from water contaminated with feces are also common causes.
You can avoid diarrhea by boiling your drinking water or by using chemically treated water and by not drinking or eating from unsafe sources.
 

• Hepatitis A

This infectious disease affects the liver and is caused by the hepatitis A virus. It usually spreads by the fecal-oral route, by ingestion of contaminated water or food, or by direct contact with an infected person. Hepatitis A infection is a self-limiting disease that does not lead to chronic infection/liver disease.
Symptoms include fever, nausea, fatigue, abdominal pain, diarrhea, jaundice, weight loss, and depression.
Prevent hepatitis A by using only safe water, properly disposing sewage and practicing good hygiene.
 

• Lead Poisoning

Water contaminated with lead coming from old pipes can cause lead poisoning, one of the serious diseases caused by water pollution. Children are at risk since chronic exposure to this metal can cause a number ofhealth problems, including organ damage.
This can lead to nervous system disorders, anemia, high blood pressure, kidney disease and problems with the reproductive system.

• Malaria

Malaria is a disease caused by parasites, which are spread by female mosquitos called Anopheles. Mosquitos breed in water, and when they bite a person infected with malaria, they can spread the infection to other people.
Symptoms of malaria include fever, headache and shivering. In severe cases, it can even lead to complications like pneumonia, severe anemia, coma and death.
To prevent breeding of mosquitos and malaria, pooled water must be eliminated. You can also use mosquito nets and pesticides and practice good sanitation.

• Polyomavirus Infection

The name polyoma refers to the viruses' ability to produce multiple (poly-) tumors (-oma). Polyomavirus are tumor viruses that affect animals and humans. They are often acquired in childhood and persist as infections in hosts without causing disease, but can lead to development of tumors in hosts with weak immune systems
.

• Polio (Infantile Paralysis)

Poliomyelitis is an acute viral infection caused by poliovirus, which spreads through the fecal-oral-route. The virus is passed through water from the feces of an infected individual.
Symptoms: Most people who get the virus have no symptoms but in affected individuals, the virus enters the blood stream and damages the nervous system, causing weakness and paralysis. Initial symptoms include fever, headache, and seizures, followed by paralysis.

• Arsenicosis

This condition is caused by chronic exposure to small amounts of arsenic found in drinking-water.
Symptoms include painful skin lesions (keratosis), which can progress into cancer. It can also affect your lungs, kidneys andbladder. Millions of people are at risk of arsenic poisoning from contaminated water supplies from natural sources.

• Fluorosis

This is a condition that leads to serious bone disease and is caused by high levels of fluoride naturally found in groundwater. It occurs in more than 25 countries around the world and estimates suggest that tens of millions of people may be affected

• Dracunculiasis (Guinea Worm Disease)

This is one of the diseases caused by water pollution in Africa. People are infected with the worms when they drink water contaminated with the larvae. These larvae develop into mature adult Guinea worms, which can grow up to a meter long. They leave the body after living there for about one year, leaving debilitating ulcers.

• Intestinal Worms

Parasitic intestinal worms (helminthes/roundworms, whipworms and/or hookworms) can be transmitted through contaminated food and soil contaminated with human feces. It is estimated that up to 10 percent of the population, mostly children, has intestinal worms that can cause anemia, malnutrition, or growth retardation. Children are particularly susceptible and typically have the largest number of worms. It can be prevented by good sanitation and hygiene and use of clean drinking water and food.

• Trachoma (Eye Infection)

This infection spreads through poor hygiene and sanitation caused by the lack of adequate safe water supply. It is more likely to affect women and children. Approximately 6 million people with trachoma have developed blindness. Studies show that providing people with adequate water supply can significantly reduce infection rates.

• Typhoid Fever

This common bacterial infection affects around 12 million people annually. It is caused by the ingestion of contaminated food and water. Symptoms include nausea, loss of appetite, and headache

• Schistosomiasis (Bilharzia)

Schistosomiasis is caused by worms that are spread by freshwater snails living in contaminated water. They penetrate your skin while swimming, wading or washing in the contaminated water, causing cause infection and damage your liver, lungs, intestines, and bladder.
It is estimated that around 200 million people have schistosomiasis, with 10 percent suffering from severe consequences. Having adequate water supply and avoidance of contact with contaminated water can significantly reduce infection rates.

• HIV/AIDS

Water contamination does not cause this condition technically, but can aggravate the harms. People who are infected with HIV/AIDS have a weakened immune system that makes them more susceptible to diseases caused by water pollution. It is therefore important to maintain good hygiene and sanitation to prevent them from acquiring water-related diseases

PREVENTION OF WATERBORNE DISEASES IS BASED ON 3 SIMPLE PRINCIPLE. 

• Never drink untreated water
• Avoid eating raw foods
• Practice good hygiene