POOR SANITATION CONDITION IN SECONDARY SCHOOL IN EGOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF EDO STATE

Background of the Study
Sanitation is the hygienic means of promoting health through prevention of human contact with the hazards of waste as well as the treatment and proper disposal of sewage or waste-water. Poor sanitation leads to hazards which can be physical, microbiological, biological or chemical agent of disease. Waste that can cause health problems including human and animal excreta, solid waste, domestic waste water (sewage or greywater) industrial waste and agricultural wastes. Most African cities are overcrowded, due to urban attraction. Little controlled urban growth lead to poor management of solid and liquid waste produced by cities. This leads to many problem of sanitation. The sanitation in these cities is generally dominated by self purification works. They often repress waste-water that trickles down in living quarter streets emitting strong foul odors. (strauss et al,2000).

The world health organization (WHO) define the term ‘sanitation’ as the provision of facilities and service for the safe disposal of human urine and feces. The world ‘sanitation’ also refers to the maintenance of hygienic conditions, through services such as garbage collection and waste-water disposals. Poor sanitation which has always been associated with Africans has significant negative effects on the health of dwellers living on the environment. Lack of adequate sanitation in school as a major threat to student’s health. Many schools, particularly rural school had no latrine at all and of those with latrine most did not have separate latrines for male and female students. Lack of toilet especially separate toilet for girls was identified as the worst school experience for girls. This illustrate that the issue of poor sanitation is one of the special conditions which prevent female student from fuller participation and achievement in schools and to an extent force them out of school.

Following the recent implementation of the policy for universal primary education, the ratio of students to toilet facilities has reduced, which also discourage female students not attending class. Morbidity figures available according to update show that diarrhea, worm infection, eye and skin disease accounted for 25.5% of all outpatient visit to health centre, while malaria (another diseases related to poor sanitation) accounted for further 35.5% (ie a total of 59% of all outpatient visit are accounted for by poor sanitation). The level of nutritional stunting in the country is still among the worst rates of nutritional stunting in African and is partly attributed to the high incidence of diarrhea, due to poor sanitation.

The rate of poor sanitation condition in secondary schools in Egor local Government area of Edo State has increase in recent time due to some factors hindering adequate sanitation service within the school location. In most secondary schools in Egor local government area, poor sanitation gives a lot of infection the opportunity to spread; plarty of waste and excrete for the flies to breed on, and unsafe water to drink, wash with or swim in. among human parasite disease ranks second behind malaria in term of public health importance in tropical and sub-tropical areas.