THE IMPLICATION OF SANITATION ON STUDENTS’ HEALTH IN NNAMDI AZIKIWE UNIVERSITY

CHAPTER ONE

1.0 INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND STUDY

Health has been defined by the Oxford Dictionary as the condition of the body or mind. The World Health Organisation (WHO) which is an authority on health matters defines health as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. WHO’s definition emphasises sound mind in a sound body all things being equal and this positive definition has led modern general practice approach in which health comes to be connoted in the physical, psychological and social terms. Thus health can be seen as a state of well-being due to the influences and impacts of the physical environment and sanitation on man. Good health is thus part of the overall development of a community.

The issue of public health is a concern to the citizen and everybody or organisation, Professor Winslow related the issue of public health to sanitation. According to him, “It is the science and art of preventing diseases, prolonging life, promoting physical and mental health and efficiency through organised community efforts through the sanitation of the environment, the control of community infection… all of which will ensure a standard of living for every individual in the community, adequate for the maintenance of health”. The issue of public health is a concern to the citizen and everybody or organisation, Professor Winslow related the issue of public health to sanitation. According to him, “It is the science and art of preventing diseases, prolonging life, promoting physical and mental health and efficiency through organised community eorts through the sanitation of the environment, the control of community infection… all of which will ensure a standard of living for every individual in the community, adequate for the maintenance of health”.

The Webster New International Dictionary defines public health as a science and art that deals with the protection and improvement of community health by organised community eort and including preventive medicine, sanitary and social services. However, man’s activities on the environment have tended to degrade and make the environment untidy and unlit for human habitation because of its poor sanitation nature. Sanitation can be said to be the state of cleanliness. It is a broad concept and connotes the process of keeping something clean. According to Kpatrick (1980), sanitation is the arrangement for protecting the health, especially the removal of the human, industrial and domestic wastes. Sanitation is also a process embarked upon to keep the total of man’s environment hazard free. Generally speaking, sanitation is geared towards the protection and promotion of public health which meant the improvement of the environment. Accordingly, public health is an eort organised by society to protect, promote and restore the peoples health and is the combination of sciences, skill and beliefs that are directed to the maintenance and improvement of health through collective and social action. It emphasises the prevention of diseases and this can be achieved through proper sanitation. Sanitation whether in the urban or rural area protects or enhances the environment and by extension the health of the citizens. Sanitation is thus that aspect of our environment which may aect the health of the citizen

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

It has been observed that the adoption of proper sanitation among students in the university is lacking and this aects the learning environment. One of the major eect of poor sanitation is the spread of diseases among students, example of these diseases are diarrhea, malaria, typhoid, etc. There is a saying that “Health is Wealth”, it is however important for students to cultivate the habit of imploring a good sanitation in order to prevent the infection of diseases. The school environment must be properly cleaned in order to protect the health of students and also to protect the visitors. It however important for the school management to provide the various means to ensure a clean environment, these can be achieved by providing adequate waste bin and also by employing adequate cleaners whose duties are to make sure the school environment is well taken care. Students should be warned against improper disposal of solid materials around the school premises. Improper disposal of polythene bags, bottles, can, etc, is one of the challenges facing the achievement of a well kept environment. For these reasons, it is important to carry out study on the implication of sanitation on students’ health in Nnamdi Akizwe University.