UNICEF Pledges Access To Sanitation, Water By 2017

The United Nations
Children Fund (UNICEF) says it is committed to ensuring that vulnerable children and their families have equitable access to sustainable water and sanitation facilities by 2017 in Rivers State.
Chief of UNICEF Field Office, Rivers State, Mr Wilbroad Ngambi said this at the inaugural Media Networking Meeting of UNICEF and Partners for Improved Reportage of WASH Programming Results in Rivers State.
Mr. Ngambi also said that UNICEF is prepared to work with all stakeholders including the media to inculate good hygiene practices among children, their care-givers and teachers to learn and adopt hygiene practices in the state.
According to him, the organization is also collaborating with government at all levels to set standards for water and sanitation systems and supplies and supports them with innovative approaches.
“UNICEF as you all know, collaborates with government at all levels to set standards for water and sanitation system and supplies, and supports them with innovative approaches such as Community Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) a non-subsidy approach to promoting improved household sanitation (such as latrines).
The chief field officer also said that UNICEF will help to build the capacities of water authorities to improve provision and management of water facilities (boreholes and protected hand dug wells depending on geology of the area) to schools and rural communities”.
He also said that “one of UNICEF’s priorities is to encourage governments to expand these systems so that more Nigerians have access to sanitation and safe water.
“At the same time, UNICEF works with all stakeholders including the media to inculcate good hygiene practices among children, their care-giver and teachers to learn and adapt hygiene practices.”
He however observed that “with so many successes achieved so far in the areas of hygiene improvement, access to safe water, there are still gaps remaining to be closed especially in the areas of timely and accurate reportage of these milestones and sensitisation of the public on the availability of these services and the need to utilise them.
Ngambi also pointed out some key issues that UNICEF is interested in working with the government to address, some of these, according to him, are; improved water supply, improved access to sanitation facilities and schools gaining access to water and sanitation.
The others include, village level operation and maintaince of motorised schemes to promote sustainable water supply, addressing open defecation as well as promoting behavioural change for sustained sanitation practices.
He said that, UNICEF is pleased with the laudable initiative of having a media networking system which aims at reporting contributions from all stakeholders towards improving the living standards of people and especially children whom we must help to realize their rights to survival and development.
Ngambi described the media as an integral and UNICEF’s strong allies with the capacity to advocate for increased policy commitment to help children’s development.
“I therefore congratulate each and everyone of you and at the same time urge you all to see this as a rare opportunity to contribute in delivering results for children in Rivers State using WASH as a springboard”, he said.