‘Improper disposal of refuse can pose fire hazards, breed rodents, transmit diseases’

Prof. Akin Osibogun is a Consultant Public Health Physician/Epidemiologist at the College of Medicine, University of Lagos. In this interview with GERALDINE AKUTU, he talks on the poor sanitary condition of the markets in Lagos State, the health risks they pose and suggested ways to improve it.

Market women sell under poor sanitary conditions, what is your take on this?
It should not be acceptable that market women sell under poor sanitary conditions especially if the wares they deal in are items to be consumed by man. Even for items that are not to be consumed by man, it is still not appropriate that market environments will be unsanitary. The regulation of markets and enforcement of sanitary rules are generally the responsibility of local government authorities. These local authorities need to be alive to their responsibilities.

What is the health risk associated with the state of these markets?
To understand the risks associated with poor sanitary environments in the markets, we need to look at the elements of sanitation. In order to ensure appropriate market sanitation, we need clean potable water that is free from contamination; we need an ideal mechanism for the disposal of human waste; and we need an appropriate mechanism for the disposal of refuse.

The risks associated with lack of potable water and inappropriate management of human waste includes the transmission of food and water borne diseases such as cholera, typhoid, shigellosis and other diarrhoeal diseases. Improper disposal of refuse can pose fire hazard, permit the breeding of rodents which in return are capable of transmitting diseases such as Lassa fever, Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis, Tickborne Relapsing Fever, Leptospirosis, Toxoplasmosis and Leishmaniasis etc. Leaching which leads to contamination of ground water also occurs when refuse is improperly disposed.

Improperly disposed refuse can cause accidents and sharp objects can cause injuries. Putrefying refuse may produce flammable gases such as methane and can therefore also be a source of fire hazard and a threat to human life and property. Improperly disposed refuse is also unsightly and can lead to property depreciation.

What should the Lagos State government do in this regard?
The responsibility for clean markets is a shared one between governments, and all stakeholders in markets including the traders and the citizens who have come to make purchases. Citizens have to cultivate the habit of properly disposing refuse in designated containers. Market men/women and the managers of the markets must ensure the provision of appropriate containers for the collection of refuse coupled with arrangements for regular removal of collected refuse from the markets to designated sanitary disposal sites.

The State Government and Local government authorities oversee markets and already have legislation in favour of healthy markets. There is a need to intensify market sanitation awareness and to follow up with monitoring and enforcement of existing market regulations.

How can buyers and sellers protect themselves from infections and diseases?
Buyers and sellers can protect themselves from infectious diseases by ensuring that markets are clean. Everybody must develop the habit of washing their hands after using the toilet. Whenever you are not sure of your source of water, boil before drinking as boiling kills several of the likely infectious agents. It is also advisable that all food items that had been left for hours should be heated before serving to ensure many of the infectious agents would be killed. If all are united in knowledge and action, the transmission of infectious agents will be drastically reduced.