BY CHIKA OKEKE, Abuja
Professor of Environmental and Public Health at the Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO), Dr Amadi Nkwa has linked the escalating meat-related diseases and meat borne diseases to poor handling of meat in abattoirs.
He stated this during an interview with newsmen in Abuja yesterday, on the sidelines of a 3-day National Environmental Health Business Forum, organised by Environmental Health Council of Nigeria (EHCN), with the theme, "Developing Sustainable Environmental Health Business Model in Support of Nigeria’s Economic Diversification Drive".
Nkwa stated that poor handling of meat is a perennial problem in Nigeria, saying that it could only be solved by implementing the policies and guidelines on the management of abattoirs that has been in existence since 1948.
Also speaking, the Managing Director of Forward Resources Nigeria limited, Dr Shehu Muhammad lamented that poor handling of meat from abattoirs to designated markets in Abuja is an eyesore, saying that Environmental Health Professionals (EHPs) should invest in the management of abattoirs.
In his presentation titled, 'National Environmental Health Practice Regulations: Panacea for Effective Environmental Health Business', he emphasised training of EHPs on handling of chemicals to avoid infection and transmission of diseases.
He harped on the need to encourage and support young Nigerian youths in public and environmental health on innovations, noting that it would create jobs and inspire young scientists to be entrepreneurs.
Muhammad added that there are abundant opportunities for investment in environmental health in the areas of sanitation, pest control, cleaning services and among others, saying that the government lacked sufficient funds for investment in environmental health.
On his part, an Associate Professor of Environmental Health, Gombe State University, Dr Muhammed Adam said that he had collected samples of meat to determine if abattoirs followed the laid down rules in processing it.
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