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A serious sanitation issue in Liberia |
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Liberia is blessed with both sunshine and rainfall. The dry season, as it is called in Liberia, lasts for six months and the rainy season also lasts for six months. Currently it is rainy season and during this time, the sanitation problem in Liberia is at its worst condition. Due to the lack of a proper waste disposal system in Liberia, residents and market sellers place piles of garbage in the street. These piles of garbage remain in the streets for months without being collected and disposed of. During the rainy season, the rain water spreads these piles of garbage into various communities, causing air pollution and largely contributing to several diseases. In large commercial places like Redlight and waterside, citizens and residents carry out normal business activities in the midst of the dirt. People are usually seen covering their noses as they pass by large piles of garbage, in an attempt not to inhale polluted air. Unfortunately, complaints by residents in those affected areas are usually ignored, as the result, residents have now resigned to live in the dirt. There have been several sites designated by the government for dumping garbage. Unfortunately, these sites have been overwhelmed by large piles of uncollected garbage, making these sites unaccessible. Another serious sanitation issue in Liberia is the lack of toilets in many homes. According to the Liberia demography and health survey 2007, only 10% of Liberian households use an improved, unshared toilet facility, while over 55% of Liberian households do not use any toilet facility. Most of these households without toilet facilities use the bushes, water ways, and river streams. During the rainy season, these streams overflow and the polluted water flows through the communities. Due to the lack of pipe borne water, several drinking wells are contaminated by polluted water from the streams, resulting in outbreaks of cholera, diarrhea, and other diseases. Children under the age of 5 are the most affected. More resources and effort needs to be provided in order to improve the state of sanitation in Liberia.
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5 Comments
Nice article the government can convert waste to a form of energy
Posted 06-08-2017 18:56
Lemuel, you have raised concern about a grave issue. I believe the long civil war that ravaged Liberia left the country riddled with poverty, that caused these problems. Access to proper sanitation is elementary to human health and well being. Lack of proper sanitation and infrastructure for waste disposal is a root cause of spread of cholera and other water-borne diseases. I hope the government and people can collectively address the matter through building of proper infrastructure and facilities.
Posted 06-08-2017 04:37
A lot of sensitisation on waste management and disposal is needed. This way, we can reduce on the challenges that come along with them
Posted 04-08-2017 01:38
thnks for sharing ,we are in a generation were we need to properly manage our waste ,see it even as a resource for development.change is what we neeed in waste mgmt.
Posted 02-08-2017 06:40
It is sad to read such a pathetic state of sanitation and waste management in Liberia. Open defecation should be avoided and public toilets should be made. Improper waste disposal not only spoils the cleanness and beauty of the city but can also lead to epidemics so authorities should tackle it on top priority. It does not cost much money and time to put waste collection bins in localities. Thanks for sharing the concern. Try to address the issue through local newspaper or by meeting local leaders. Hope the situation improves.
Posted 01-08-2017 02:30