Nigeria needs no fewer than 35,000 sanitary officers to promote disease control and ensure a healthy nation, Mr Kehinde John, a health official, has said.
John, the Director, Environmental Health, Federal Ministry of Health, stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recently in Abuja.
He said that in a country of about 170 million people, 7,000 sanitary inspectors was inadequate to check and monitor the hygienic conditions of the populace.
“Nigeria is about 170 million and we have less than 7,000 sanitary inspectors to manage this people.
“The World Health Organisation’s standard says one sanitary inspector to 8,000 inhabitants; we need nothing less than 35,000 sanitary inspectors in this country.
“Therefore, more sanitary inspectors should be employed.’’
According to him, the employment of more sanitary officers will reduce the burden on the primary and secondary healthcare services in eradicating diseases.
John noted that many trained health officers who were unemployed could be engaged in house-to-house inspection.
He called on governments at all levels, especially, the local governments, to employ enough officers.
“The local governments are supposed to employ them but they are not given the opportunity or they just say they cannot pay; if they cannot do their job, who will do it for them?
“The states are to make policies technically to support the local governments and carry out supervisory visit; the Federal Government needs the sanitary inspectors.’’
John explained that the environmental health officers’ scheme is a global nomenclature, adding that their duties were fundamental to better living. (NAN)