Kisumu residents will on Tuesday celebrate World Toilet Day at Kochieng’ Health Centre in Nyando Sub County after it emerged that it was an Open Defecation Free (ODF) area.
The Nyando Sub County is 100% ODF area followed by Seme 66%, Kisumu West 63%, Nyakach 32%, Kisumu Central 19%, Muhoroni 8% and Kisumu East 2%.
The function scheduled to start at 9.00am, will be presided over by Executive Committee Member for Health and Sanitation, Judith Etyang’.
Open defecation is a risk factor for diarrhoeal diseases including cholera, environmental enteropathy which leads to stunting in children and soil transmitted helminthes.
The World Toilet Day is an annual global event organised by UN Water to raise awareness of the crucial role sanitation played in reducing diseases and creating healthier communities.
The theme for this year’s WTD is ‘Leaving No One Behind” whose focus is expanding sanitation access to over 4.2billion people living without safely managed sanitation options hence the crusade to provide clean and safe toilets for millions worldwide.
ODF Counties in Kenya include Busia, Migori, Siaya and Kitui.
By John Ochanda
