Only eight of the 37 communities
affected by lead poisoning in Zamfara have been
remediated with 29 villages still awaiting
decontamination in their areas. Alhaji Shehu Anka, the state Director,
Environmental Protection Control, said this in
Gusau while speaking at a one day stakeholders
meeting on Bagega’s remediation. The remediation process entailed the removal of
the contaminated soil and its replacement with
fresh unpolluted one. The Gusau meeting was organised by Global
Rights, an NGO. Anka blamed the non-remediation of the 29
villages on the retrieval of the decontamination
equipment, including soil test machines and
vehicles by the Federal Ministry of Environment
after the exercise was concluded in Bagega town. He wondered why the equipment needed in the
remediation sites was taken away by the Federal
Ministry of Environment. Speaking at the meeting, Mrs Nicole Langer , the
Project Coordinator, Medicins Sans Frontieres
(MSF), otherwise known as Doctors without
Borders, said that the mortality rate had reduced
from 43 per cent as of 2010 to 3.2 per cent up to
Sept. 2013. Langer said that 4,484 children had been
registered by MSF since the beginning of the
programme. She said 1,596 patients were treated and
discharged successfully while about 1,905
patients were receiving treatment and follow-up
procedure. The coordinator further said that, the MSF was
now giving medical attention to cases like
measles, malaria and malnutrition. Also speaking, the Senior Programme Officer of
the Global Rights, Mr Adebayo Okeowo said the
meeting was organised in order to discuss with
stakeholders on the impact of remediation, after
the exercise was completed at Bagega. (NAN)
affected by lead poisoning in Zamfara have been
remediated with 29 villages still awaiting
decontamination in their areas. Alhaji Shehu Anka, the state Director,
Environmental Protection Control, said this in
Gusau while speaking at a one day stakeholders
meeting on Bagega’s remediation. The remediation process entailed the removal of
the contaminated soil and its replacement with
fresh unpolluted one. The Gusau meeting was organised by Global
Rights, an NGO. Anka blamed the non-remediation of the 29
villages on the retrieval of the decontamination
equipment, including soil test machines and
vehicles by the Federal Ministry of Environment
after the exercise was concluded in Bagega town. He wondered why the equipment needed in the
remediation sites was taken away by the Federal
Ministry of Environment. Speaking at the meeting, Mrs Nicole Langer , the
Project Coordinator, Medicins Sans Frontieres
(MSF), otherwise known as Doctors without
Borders, said that the mortality rate had reduced
from 43 per cent as of 2010 to 3.2 per cent up to
Sept. 2013. Langer said that 4,484 children had been
registered by MSF since the beginning of the
programme. She said 1,596 patients were treated and
discharged successfully while about 1,905
patients were receiving treatment and follow-up
procedure. The coordinator further said that, the MSF was
now giving medical attention to cases like
measles, malaria and malnutrition. Also speaking, the Senior Programme Officer of
the Global Rights, Mr Adebayo Okeowo said the
meeting was organised in order to discuss with
stakeholders on the impact of remediation, after
the exercise was completed at Bagega. (NAN)
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