Did you know that the most common diseases that kill Nigerians are caused by Nigerians themselves? That is the unfortunate truth. Recent studies reveal that most of the life-threatening diseases troubling Nigerian population preventable. According to a report by the Center for Disease Control, Malaria kills more people in Nigeria annually than any other disease; for 20% of deaths that happen in the country.
In this article, we will discuss the top causes of death in Nigeria that can be linked to dirty habits exhibited by Nigerians.
Before we go further let’s see the chart of the Top 10 causes of death in Nigeria:
Malaria – 20%
Lower Respiratory Infections – 19%
HIV – 9%
Diarreheal Diseases – 5%
Road Injuries – 5%
Protein/Energy Malnutrition – 4%
Cancer – 3%
Meningitis – 3%
Stroke – 3%
Tuberculosis – 2%
Source: Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC)
Diseases that are caused by Dirty habits
Malaria
Malaria, the leading cause of death in Nigeria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease affecting humans and other animals. Taking a root cause analysis of malaria we can attribute the cause of malaria to dirty environments which allow the mosquito (the carrier of malaria to thrive).
Littering
Trivial Habit such as littering the environment can have a major impact on our health and predominantly lead to death. Littering the environment with can cause the blockage of drainage and the make the water stagnant. Stagnant water provides an ideal environment for mosquitoes (the carrier of malaria parasite) to breed.
Diarrhea
Diarrhea, the 4th leading cause of death in Nigeria in some cases can be caused by the dirty environment. Diarrhea is the condition where the infected individual stools and vomits at the same time leading to dehydration and weakness of the body.
Diarrheal Diseases is the second leading cause of death in children under five years old. It is both preventable and treatable. Each year diarrhea kills around 525 000 children under five. A significant proportion of diarrheal disease can be prevented through safe drinking-water and adequate sanitation and hygiene.
Open Defecation
Open defecation is an act that has plagued most rural and few urban areas in Nigeria. The sewage on the floor surface often finds its way to the water reserve and contaminates the groundwater.
Moving forward from here, we need to be aware and take preventive action against the bad habits that are capable of causing deadly diseases.
