The Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) says it will reintroduce special environmental sanitation exercise to prevent outbreak of any deadly disease in the FCT.
Mr Joe Ukairo, Head of Information and Communication of the board, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Abuja that the exercise would ensure thorough environmental cleanliness in the FCT.
Ukairo said that the FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Bello, had mandated the board, relevant departments and agencies of the FCT to work collaborate and ensure that the spread of viral diseases was prevented.
"As a regulatory agency, we are looking at reintroducing special sanitation days, because some of the diseases occur as a result of dirty environment.
"We know that our system is whereby we learn to do the right things at the old age whereby in the developed countries they grow up taking care of their environments.
"We need to push people to do the right thing at the right time, which we are looking at the failures of the past environmental sanitation day.
"We have decided to go back to the drawing board to bring up special sanitation day as a long time measure to ensure that the city is clean and people in the city are healthy,’’ he said.
He said the board was putting out all advocacy, public awareness tools and platforms to educate and sensitise the populace on the virus.
According to him, the aim of the awareness is to enlighten residents about the virus, let them know the spread pattern and what they need to do.
Ukairo added that the official team was using outside broadcast van provided by the board to area counsels and satellite towns with the message of keep your environment clean.
"Maintain personal hygiene, always wash your hands with soap, use rat poison to prevent rats in the home, and don’t expose raw food during processing.
"I remember during Ebola cases, we were all washing our hands using hand sanitisers, but as soon as Ebola was over in the country, we stop the practice.
"Even in the schools, the hand washing system, the hand sanitisers and other facilities got broken down, nobody cared to maintain them. But nature is bringing us back to that needful personal hygiene habit.
"We should form and stay with them not just to combat an incident of epidemic but just as a sustainable personal hygiene habit.
"Manage your waste properly, cover your waste bins so that rats will not have access to food, both human beings and animals strive for conducive environment.
"If we starve rat of food, water and shelter they will not come close to such environment but if we have such waste around our environment they must definitely come,’’ he said.
Ukairo, however, advised FCT residents to always visit health facility for proper medical check-up.
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