Monitoring of Environmental Health Indicators in Refugee and Internally Displaced Persons Camps in Borno State, North East Nigeria

Internally displaced persons in Borno State continue to face severe environmental health challenges including overcrowding, inadequate WASH infrastructure, food insecurity, and limited access to primary health care, creating conditions conducive to disease outbreaks. This study monitors key environmental health indicators in formal and informal internally displaced persons camps across Maiduguri, Jere, and Konduga local government areas in Borno State. A cross-sectional environmental health monitoring design is applied across 18 camps, using a standardised inspection checklist adapted from the SPHERE Handbook for humanitarian minimum standards. Indicators assessed include person-to-toilet ratio, safe water access coverage, solid waste disposal adequacy, shelter density, food distribution coverage, vector breeding site density, and healthcare facility proximity. Community household surveys of 270 displaced households supplement facility assessments with self-reported disease burden data for diarrhoea, malaria, and acute respiratory illness in the preceding four weeks. Data are analysed in SPSS with descriptive statistics, and comparison against SPHERE standards. Available reports from the International Organisation for Migration and Borno State Emergency Management Agency indicate persistent WASH standard deficits across informal camp settings, with person-to-latrine ratios often exceeding 1:60 against the SPHERE standard of 1:20. The Environmental Vulnerability Index framework informs the risk prioritisation approach. Findings will guide camp management committees and humanitarian partners on targeted environmental health investment. Keywords: environmental health, internally displaced persons, SPHERE standards, WASH, Borno State.