ACCELERATING CHILD SURVIVAL AND DEVELOPMENT 2009
Uganda’s Battle Against the Top Childhood Threats
WATER, SANITATION AND
HYGIENE (WASH)
SITUATION SUMMARY
Water is essential for life – and safe sanitation and
hygiene preserve it. However, despite progress in the
provision of safe water to rural parts of Uganda, the
national average has stagnated at 63% with a function-
ality level of 83%. National latrine coverage stands at
52%, almost no improvement over the last four years.
In UNICEF focus districts, coverage levels are often
below national averages (see chart below) and, in
some cases, fall below 20% for safe water, and at least
five district at 10% or below for sanitation.
This means that children remain vulnerable to a variety
of entirely preventable water-related diseases. Diar-
rhoea accounts for almost 5% deaths of children under
five and pnemonia (or acute respiratory illness) ac-
counts for 9.5%. Both pneumonia and diarrhea are
linked and/or aggravated by poor sanitation, personal
and environmental hygiene, unsafe feeding practices
and/or contaminated water. According to some studies,
improvements in safe water supply and storage, could
reduce the incidence of diarrhoea by about one fifth
and simple hand-washing with soap by 44%.
The best place to learn model behaviour and life-skills
is at school. But with less than 40 % of primary schools
providing adequate water and sanitation facilities, stu-
dents cannot put good knowledge into practice. Only 1
in 5 primary schools sampled by the Ministry of Educa-
tion in 2005 provided at least 5 liters of safe water per
day, per pupil – and although there has been a steady
improvement, the pupil per stance ratio of 61:1 is still
above the standard 40:1. Segregated toilets are pro-
vided in only 72% of schools which means that the girl
child, children with physical disabilities, the youngest
children and staff have inappropriate access. Further-
more, only 39% of schools have hand-washing facili-
ties. Without improvement to facilities in this formative
environment, proper health and hygiene practices will
not be imparted to the next generation.
THE REGIONAL PERSPECTIVE
WES Sector Performance Report 2007/8:
Rural Safe Water and Sanitation Coverage
100% save water co verage latrine co verage
National average National average
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
Karamoja Acholi Western Lango
© UNICEF Uganda/Chulho Hyun
Simple hand-washing with water and soap can reduce the inci-
dence of diarrhea by 44%.
UNICEF WASH PROGRAMME IN 2009
UNICEF’s Water, Sanitation & Hygiene programme,
works at the national level and in 23 focus districts to
support the attainment of national standards, targets
and priorities for safe and sustainable water and sani-
tation coverage, in pursuit of MDG 7 (ensuring safe
access to safe water) for achievement of MDG 4
(reducing child mortality). UNICEF works to ensure:
• Children and their caregivers have increased and
more equitable access to improved water supply and
sanitation by supporting districts and communities,
with financial, technical and supply assistance, to
construct and/or rehabilitate, operate and maintain
water schemes and appropriate, gender segregated
sanitation facilities in primary schools, health facili-
ties and other essential community points.
• Children and their caregivers know and employ
proper hygiene practices as a result of effective com-
munity-based behaviour change communication
(including Community-led Total Sanitation ap-
proaches and PHAST methods).
• Local Governments have improved capacity to plan,
implement, supervise, coordinate, and monitor sus-
tainable WASH sector interventions through training
and technical assistance.
• Adequate resources are allocated from the national
to district levels for WASH as a result of evidence-
based planning, policy and standards development,
as well as documentation of lessons learned.
INDICATIVE BUDGET FOR 2009
Budgetary Requirements: 11 million USD
• 10 million USD for interventions in 23 focus districts;
• 1 million USD to expand advocacy, leveraging an
partnerships at the national level.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Chander Badloe Karen Allen
Teso Chief, WASH Programme Deputy Representative
cbadloe@unicef.org kallen@unicef.org