Muiz Banire
The Lagos State Commissioner for the Environment, Dr. Muiz Banire, and notable physicians have said that the state is the most flood-prone in the country.
Speaking on the topic, “Urbanisation: A challenge to public health,” Banire and three other speakers —the Chief Medical Director of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Prof. Akin Osibogun; the Chairman, Nigerian Medical Association, Lagos State branch, Dr. Edamisan Temiye, and the First Vice-Chairman of the NMA, Dr. Emene Johnson — noted that the major problem facing the state was lack of adequate drainage system, saying that the available ones had been compromised.
The occasion was the 2010 Physicians’ Week organised by the Lagos State branch of the NMA
Banire, in his speech, said, “Flooding is a serious problem in Lagos metropolis because of poor drainage systems, the relatively high water table and the flat topography of Lagos, which retard the flow of surface water run-off and prevent rapid discharge into the sea.”
In his presentation, Osibogun noted that the population of Lagos State equaled that of 32 African countries put together, saying the health challenges of explosive population should be the concern of all.
According to him, one of the ways to curb the spread of diseases in a highly populated state like Lagos, where the majority of residents live in crowded conditions, is to tackle the issue of water and hygiene.
“The control of waterborne diseases requires a safe water source of high quality and with enough water for the practice of general water hygiene, which will ensure that the water stays safe,” he said.
In his speech, Temiye said urbanisation had been cited as one of the biggest health challenges of the 21st Century, noting that the theme was selected in recognition of the effects urbanisation had on global health.
“Our actions as individuals, community, corporate organisations and government should be focused on reorganising the chaotic development that is rife in our cities and return us to healthy development and living conditions,” Temiye said.
Johnson noted that the past decade had witnessed unprecedented urbanisation globally, reaching a feverish peak in Lagos metropolis, with emphasis mainly on the capital and infrastructural development without social and welfare programmes to match the massive development and structural expansion.
“We therefore have to be very much aware of the implications of physical urbanisation on us, where social and welfare amenities are inadequate or non-existent perhaps for us to help ourselves and also to call the attention of the government where necessary,” Johnson said.
Source:http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art201010285491120
No comments:
Post a Comment