International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR) ISSN (Online): 2319-7064 Index Copernicus Value (2016): 79.57 | Impact Factor (2017): 7.296 Volume 7 Issue 5, May 2018 www.ijsr.net Licensed Under Creative Commons Attribution CC BY Practice of Excreta Related Hygiene among Rural Dwellers: A Case of Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State Nigeria Vincent E. Weli 1 , Precious Ikezam 2 , Chioma Obinuchi Wodu 3 1, 2 Department of Geography and Environmental Management, Faculty of Social Science, University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria 3 Department of Biomedical Technology, School of Science Laboratory Technology, University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria Abstract: Safe disposal of human excreta is a major prerequisite to Health. This study was carried out to provide useful insight to the current excreta related hygiene practiced in Emohua Local GovernmentArea of Rivers State, Nigeria. Survey research design was used and questionnaires distributed to a total of three hundred and eighty two respondents selected across the twelve communities that makes up the rural area through clusters and convenience sampling techniques with each community contributing thirty two respondents on the basis of their sizes. The data collected were analyzed using simple percentage method. The findings reveals that water closet and pit latrines were predominately used in the study area with finance the major determinant of the type of disposal system used. There was poor hygiene practiced in aspects of hand washing and cleaning of disposal system which is responsible for prevalence and spread of excreta related and communicable diseases in the area with little awareness on the risk of unsafe excreta disposal. Thus the need for increased awareness excreta related campaign in rural communities is recommended. Keywords: Excreta, Hygiene, Rural Dwellers, Diseases 1. Introduction Excretion is one of the basic functions of life. It is the process of eliminating waste products of metabolism and other non-useful materials from the human body (Beckett, 1986). The metabolic waste eliminated from the human body could be urine, sweat or faeces is called excreta which in most cases are end products of nutrients taken into the body. Nutrition provides most of the energy needed in driving the metabolic activities of the human body. As energy is released, the undigested food becomes a mass of unwanted material called faeces which the body excretes in order to maintain its health status and optimal function. Owing to the fact that man must discharge excreta from his body almost on a daily basis, the need for an excreta disposal facility becomes pertinent to every home not just to ensure the discharge of excreta but to do same in the healthiest possible ways bearing in mind the many risk associated with poor excreta disposal. World Health Organization posited that a healthy and saver environment is guaranteed when excreta are disposed properly as required unless it will contaminate the environment, food and water. So, proper sanitation of the environment is needed to avoid the transmission of diseases (WHO 2010). The importance of sanitation and hygiene is equally buttressed by Rush, (2011)who asserted that sanitation facilities should be properly put to use in order to ensure a healthy environment free of diseases. By implication, human faeces should be properly disposed to avoid making the environment unhealthy for habitation. The spread of communicable disease and its pathogens in the environment has been linked with unsafe practice and disposal of excreta (Esrey et al., 2001). Most of these diseases could be related to the use of local technologies in the disposal of excreta among the rural/ low income earners in the society. There are various technologies employed in disposing excreta but hygiene has to be put in place in its quality and proper use. The World Health Organization noted that a large fraction of the world’s illness and death is attributable to communicable diseases (WHO, 2009) to avoid this; personal hygiene should be employed in the disposal of excreta. A large number of the rural people after making use of toilets use their hands unwashed to carry out other domestic works like cooking, food processing, fetching of water, all of which may introduce contaminants to their foods and water. According to W.H.O (2015) statistics on food safety, “an estimated 600 million, almost 1 in 10 people in the world fall ill after eating contaminated food and 420 000 die every year, resulting in the loss of 33 million healthy life years(DALYs).”Inadequate sanitary conditions and poor hygiene practices play major roles in the increased burden of communicable disease within these developing countries (Alyssa et al., 2010). It has been estimated, at least for Africa, that 85% of the burden of disease preventable by water supply is caused by feco-oral, mainly diarrheal diseases, largely due to the substantial child mortality which they cause (Rosen et al., 2001). This study is thus aimed at evaluating the attitude of rural dwellers to excreta related hygiene. Much works still needs to be done on investigation the practice of most rural dwellers to excreta related hygiene especially in the Nigerian environment thus this work. Paper ID: 28041803 DOI: 10.21275/28041803 77