PH
Close to 8 million Kenyans defecate in the open due to lack of access to toilets, according to a report by World Vision.
According to the report that was released Thursday, lack of toilets especially in informal settlements and rural areas is to be partly blamed for the increased cases of waterborne diseases like diarrhea, amoeba, typhoid and cholera.
The report further says that lack of toilets among Kenyan families is costing the country billions of shillings in treatment and control of the waterborne diseases.
While releasing the report, Nakuru County health executive Dr Kabii Mungai said that Nakuru uses KES 972 million annually to fight waterborne diseases.
“In this country we are losing over KES 27 billion yearly due to poor sanitation. If only we could ensure that each of our homesteads has a toilet this money would be channeled to a more worthy course,” said Dr Kabii
“Nakuru loses KES 972 million annually fighting diseases like cholera which could be easily prevented by simply exercising proper sanitation,” he said.
In 2013, Kenya initiated a nationwide a Community Led Total Sanitation campaign to eradicate open defecation.
The report indicated that at least 25% of the Kenyans do not have access to adequate and proper sanitation with school girls, women and people from marginalized communities being the most affected.
