ENVIRONMENTAL DISEASES AND THEIR EFFECTS ON THE RESIDENTS OF BWARI AREA COUNCIL

Abstract

The study focuses on environmental diseases and their effects on the residents of Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory. The study area is located within latitudes 9°01’ and 9°28’N and longitudes 6°23’ and 7°19’E. The basic data sources include questionnaires, oral interviews, literature from past works and photographs taken during field work. Attention was focused on those cultural and environmental risk factors like source of drinking water, source of cooking energy, poor waste management and number of people living per room amongst many. Result show that these risk factors aid the breeding of causative organisms and fuel
their spread to homes thus causing diseases like diarrhea, malaria, flu, typhoid and gastro infections. Results further revealed that the number of health care centers in the area are few and situated far from residents causing them stress, financial drain and reduction in the number of working hours. Several recommendations were made to combat these risk factors and reduce their effects, amongst which are that veterinary regulations, care and control of animals kept by residents should be enforced and that environmental policies centered on new constructions of buildings should be enforced especially obtaining building approval from appropriate quarters