In Ndiagu-Atu and Ndiagu-Ona neighbourhoods in Umuakpu community in Ohaukwu LGA, Ebonyi State, the possibility of getting clean water is a long-lost dream. The government has neglected their cries since inception. Tracka visited and spoke with residents of the community.
“We have many problems, but this water problem is number one. There is no water in this community. We usually manage to get water from the Nwazulor stream, which you can see is very bad. Even the bad water we see and manage like that, it is only during the rainy season we can get it. When the dry season comes, there is nothing for us.” ThankGod Kelechukwu told Tracka.
The unsafe limited water dries up during the dry season, and the residents will have to dig the stream.
According to UNICEF, the use of contaminated drinking water and poor sanitary conditions result in water-borne diseases, leading to deaths of more than 70,000 children under five annually.
Lilian, a native of Ndiagu-ona, narrated how the water affects their health.
“Many of our children are infected with guinea worm disease, and we have to treat it by ourselves. It is very painful to see children suffering for things that can be avoided. The situation is bad.” she said.
Guinea worm disease is an infection caused by guinea worm that spreads through drinking contaminated water. It is considered endemic in three African countries – Ethiopia, Mali and Egypt. The disease is a severe condition, causing extreme pain and complications, which affects the quality of life.
The residents sterilize the water from the stream by boiling it. However, some children who still take the untreated water suffer severe rashes on their bodies and vomit blood. They lamented having to treat several unnamed diseases because of the contaminated water.
“My last pregnancy before this my child, I had a miscarriage. After it happened and I went to the hospital in Ezzamgbo, they told me I didn’t take care of myself well. But for me, I know this water is part of the cause because many women in this community usually have miscarriages.” Chichi told Tracka.
In addition to the diseases that arise from lack of access to clean water, the community of over 5,000 people does not have a functional health facility. The closest health centre that works is thirty kilometres away in Ezzamgbo. This forced residents to self-treat themselves whenever they’re ill, and it has come with consequences.
“I don’t want to mention names, but we have had pregnant women lose their lives or that of their baby because the health centre in this community does not work. It usually happens when they go into labour and have complications. If you go to the health centre now, there is no equipment, so you cannot find anybody there.”
The residents are embittered by the situation, which can be resolved if the government takes their existence seriously. Tracka urges Ebonyi state governor, David Umahi, Senator Sam Egwu, Hon. Chukwuma Nwazunku, Chairman Barr. Clement Odah, the chairman of Ohaukwu LGA, and other relevant stakeholders to address the water and health centre problem in the Umuakpu community.
Story by Ayomide Ladipo and Stella Omodia.
