Nigerians must take responsibility of protecting childrens’ rights – Specialist
NAN-HG-16
Attitude
by Maharazu Ahmed
Zaria, Dec. 19, 2016 [NAN] A communication specialist, Dr Steve Daniel has said that the media must help to push Nigerians to take responsibility in protecting the rights of children to life.
Steve made the remark during a presentation on Essential Family Practices, at a media review meeting organised by National Orientation Agency and UNICEF in Zaria, Kaduna State.
“The media is well positioned to get people responsible for what they do, people must stop open defecation, keeping dirty environment and denying children access to life saving interventions.
“We must keep children alive and healthy; the child has no voice but is made victim of the adult’s poor hygiene and sanitation.”
He stressed that the grim statistics on life threatening situtions the Nigerian child is exposed to, would be eliminated if parents and other members of the society take their responsibilities seriously.
He added that media should highlight those attitudes, cultural beliefs and norms that negate the rights of children and encourage communities to discard them off for the good of all.
“We dont need to wait for government to clean our environment, protect our water sources from contamination, allow children to go to school, or stop open defecation, these are things we can do ourselves.
“People must change their behaviour; it is important for them to believe that they can change their situations.”
Steve said child survival and development would be enhanced through provision of water, sanitation activities, access to quality healthcare including immunisation to ward off preventable diseases.
“The media should scale up voices of victims of child abuse and violence as well as children vulnerable to such situations.
“The media must undertake sustained advocacy to draw the attention of policy makers until issues of rights of children receive the desired response and intervention.”
He noted that by stopping open defecation alone, communities would break their susceptibility to diarrhoea, cholera, dysentry, typhoid, poliomyelitis.
“People can break transmission routes for diseases through handwashing at critical times, provision of adequate toilet facilities, protection of water sources from contamination, and ensuring household water security and sustainability of WASH services.” [NAN]
MZA