ABATTOIRS AND PUBLIC HEALTH
The authorities should ensure public health safety by paying more attention to abattoirs
Apparently to curtail the upsurge in communicable and some neglected tropical diseases, the Minister of State for the Federal Capital Territory, Dr. Ramatu Aliyu recently directed an immediate clean-up of the abattoirs in the FCT for improved sanitary conditions. Abattoirs operated in unhygienic environment generate waste and organisms that pose serious threat to human health. Sadly, many such facilities across the country do not measure up to the required hygienic standards.
Indeed, findings from different studies keep pointing to one fact: the increasing health hazards in consuming the beef prepared in many parts of the country. This is because most abattoirs are in unacceptable conditions: dirty, unkempt, and operate with little regard to health considerations. Animal waste such as blood, bones and tissues are often scattered around the surroundings. There is often poor sewage and waste disposal systems. A few states like Lagos have made some efforts towards ensuring a healthy and hygienic abattoir condition by upgrading some of their abattoirs over the years. Indeed, last year
the Governor of Lagos State, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, inaugurated a semi-mechanised abattoir in the Somolu/Bariga areas in line with the state’s efforts to curb illegal and unhygienic meat butchering. But in several other states the slaughterhouses stink. In many of these states, some butchers are still killing cows and preparing carcasses of their meat on the wet, dirty, muddy floors. The vicinity is often littered with heaps of smelling waste materials. In fact, in most cases, it is almost as if the abattoir is synonymous with waste. This phenomenon, as we have noted on this page, poses a clear and present danger to the health of Nigerians.
On several occasions, we have had course to express serious concerns over the manner of producing, handling and transporting beef from abattoirs to the different points of sale because they are inimical to the health of the final consumers. We therefore reinstate our position that the manner in which animal carcasses are handled during slaughter, loading and transportation from the abattoirs to various points of sale must change. Indeed, almost as a matter of routine, majority of the butchers convey their meat on bicycles, motorbikes, motorised tricycles and sometimes on some rickety meat vans, under very unhygienic conditions. The beef is simply packed and transported without regard to safety measures. It may not be obvious but there are serious health consequences for the consumers of such exposed beef.
And there appears to be no credible step by the authorities to arrest the problem. This may also explain why members of the Nigerian business and political elite, as studies have shown, prefer imported, frozen poultry products, even when no one can guarantee the safety of these imported products.
Against the background that statistics indicate that Nigerians consume over 300 million kilogrammes of beef a year, the authorities should be serious about hygiene by establishing modern abattoirs to protect the environment as well as the well-being of the people. The general public as well as the critical stakeholders in the business should be adequately enlightened on how to handle beef. This should be the responsibility of the health and environment authorities at both the federal and state levels. In addition, there should be strict enforcement of sanitation practices. The health of every citizen should concern every responsible and responsive government, especially when it comes to what they daily consume.
