Assessmentent of Sanitary Status in Akoko Southwest Local Government Area, Ondo State.

This study investigated the patterns of waste disposal and west handling in Oka, Akungba and Oba communities in Akoko Southwest Local Government Area of Ondo State, Nigeria. It also determined the patterns of water supply and sanitation in relation to health statistics of selected household members. This was with a view to determining the health implications of poor sanitation in the study area. Each town was stratified into high, medium, and low densities based on their relative population densities. Three hundred and eighteen households were selected from the population of 77,630 people and questionnaire administered to heads of households only. The questionnaire obtained information on household waste generation and disposal patterns; health management characteristics of each household, sanitation and personal hygiene, and access to different types of water supply facilities. Data obtained were subjected to appropriate descriptive and inferential statistical analysis to determine the effect of water supply and sanitation on the health of people in the study area. Results obtained show that there were more dumpsites, less frequent clearing of dumpsites and more open burning of waste in Oka than either in either Oba or Akungba. Access to clean water supply and sanitation facilities (tap water and water cistern) was higher in Oba than in either Oka or Akungba. Patterns of personal hygiene, however, did not significantly vary among the communities. In terms of health status, 50% of respondent reported that dysentery was the most important disease condition in the area, 17% said it was typhoid while the remaining 33% identified malaria as the most important. Each of these diseases was more prevalent in Oka than either in Oba or Akungba. The study concluded poor waste management is a significant factor affecting the distribution of these environmental diseases.