One in ten adolescent girls in Africa miss school during menstruation period and eventually drop out due to a lack of gender-friendly toilet facilities, according to a group, WaterAid Nigeria.
The group therefore renewed its call on Nigerians to improve on the provision of water, sanitation and hygiene in schools as well as healthcare facilities in the country.
Lack of water and sanitation, combined with poor hygiene, it added, also contributes to the overuse and misuse of antibiotics.
A statement by the Communications and Media Manager of WaterAid Nigeria, Oluseyi Abdulmalik, on Saturday, quoted a World Health Organisation report to validate its claim.
The report entitled: “Water, sanitation and hygiene in health care facilities: status in low and middle income countries and way forward”, said almost one- third (29 per cent) of hospitals and clinics in the country do not have access to clean water and safe toilets while one in six (16 per cent) do not have anywhere to wash hands with soap.
The Country Director of WaterAid Nigeria, Dr. Halidou Koanda said, “Clean, water, good sanitation and good hygiene including hand washing with soap are absolutely essential to effective healthcare, wherever you are in the world.”
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