By Geoffrey Mutegeki
In a bid to increase access to water and good sanitation, which remain a luxury for many Ugandans, experts in the water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) sector have called on the Government to dedicate more funds to the sector.
Uganda set an ambitious target of universal access to water, sanitation and hygiene services (WASH) by 2030.
In Uganda, an estimated 75% of the overall disease burden comes frompoor sanitation and hygiene.
According to the Ministry of Health, each year, 23,000 Ugandans die from diarrhoea, of which 19,700 are children below the age of five.
Some 90% of these deaths are directly attributable to inadequate water, poor sanitation and unhygienic practices. In other words, they would be entirely preventable through basic water, sanitation and hygiene interventions.
To end this challenge, there needs to be greater financial resources, estimated to be nine times the current budget spent on WASH services.
Currently, Uganda spends at least 3% of its budget towards water and environment, which experts say needs to be increased by at least nine times to 13%.
The current budget is sh648.3b for both rural and urban water activities in the 2021/22 financial year.
Silas Aogon, the chairperson of Uganda Parliamentary Forum on Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (UPF-WASH), saidthese current levels of spending are woefully inadequate.
“The financing gap is a real and, perhaps, most immediate problem working against the realisation of universal access to water and sanitation,” Aogonsaid.
Aogon made the remarks during the third annual WASH symposium organised by the UPF-WASH in partnership with other stakeholders.
The symposium was held recently in Kampala under the theme; “COVID-19 and WASH: Mitigating the negative socio-economic impacts on the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Sector”.
He revealed that with the effects of COVID-19,the current 3% of the budget put in the sector is not enough to wipe out the challenge.
“With the effects of COVID-19 and need for water as a preventive measure for the pandemic, we need to increase the budgets urgently,” Aogonsaid.
He added that access to water needs to improve in both rural and urban areas, institutions of learning and health facilities.
“Many schools lack safe water; if you visit them, you will be disappointed by the water sources. They are contaminated and sometimes far away from the schools, which affects the learning of the children,” Aogonsaid.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many sectors such as WASH were affected with budget cuts which now need to be enhanced.
“When money was cut, it meant no water for some people. For example, last year, the people of Kumimunicipality expected to get water but the budget was cut and they never got it,” he said.
Apart from the Government failing to deliver on some promises,COVID-19 has made it hard for Ugandans to pay for WASH services since many have lost jobs and are not able to work.
“Water is now a priority for everyone, there is an increase in demand for water, but the supply still low,”Aogonsaid.
YuniaMusaazi, the executive director of Uganda Water and Sanitation NGO Network (UWASNET),said increasing funding to the WASH sector will have positive effects in other sectors such as health, including nutrition.
“A lack of access to clean water can lead to diseases such as cholera and diarrhoea as well as malnutrition and wasting. We need to curb these by increasing access to safe water,” Musaazisaid.
She explained that the Government needs to take the lead to transforms lives by improving access to safe water, hygiene and sanitation.
Musaazisaid the COVID-19 pandemic has helped to expose the gaps in WASH, especially the lack of hand hygiene facilities
“I donot think we are ready for school re-opening if WASH facilities are not put in place. The available facilities are not enough now that we are looking at full re-opening of schools,” Musaazisaid.
She noted that close to 70% of the schools do not have these facilities.
“The MPs and finance ministry should give schools funds to schools with a specific percentage dedicated to ensure adequate WASH facilities,” Musaazisuggested.
The National Development Pan (NDP) III sets out a five-year target to increase access to safe water supply from 70% to 85% in rural areas and from 74% to 100% in urban areas. It also sets to increase access to basic sanitation from 19% to 40%.
However, experts note that such policy promises need to be backed up with resources so as not to remain white elephants.
Increase our financing 10 times, from the current 3% to 13% by 2030 if we are to achieve the universal access to safe water.
“Look for innovative ways of financing the water and sanitation sector and trigger the private sector to invest in water and sanitation, reduce on the cost of WASH items,” Musaazisaid.
Samuel Andrew Kiiza, a technical advisor for water at Plan International,said the COVID-19 pandemic, has worsened the WASH facilities in places such as schools and health care facilities.
“As schools re-open, we need to fast-track the restoring of water supply in schools and add more water points. The current points are going to be overwhelmed by the numbers,” Kiizasaid.
He noted that the resources allocated to schools in form of grants should have a vote on WASH.
“The Government must ensure the schools are safe and have adequate handwashing facilities which are areas of prevention,” Kiizasaid.
He said learners are still facing the challenge of moving long distances to access water at school.
“Schools are supposed to have safe clean water within a radius of 100 metres, but our schools have water source in a radius of 3km,and is in most cases shared with the community, which raises safety concerns,” Kiizasaid.
Safe water coverage in rural and urban areas is estimated at 68% and 71% respectively. Consequently, 48,000 villages, representing 70% of all villages, have at least a source of water.
Meeting Sustainable Development Goal 6 on water and sanitation for all by 2030 is a massive opportunity for the country.
Gideon ThemboMujungu, the MP Busongora South,said lack of local maintenance of WASH facilities could mean it continues to be a challenge.
“Most boreholes drilled 10 years ago have broken down and little is being put in rehabilitation, but they claim we have 70% water coverage yet boreholes are not functioning,” Mujungusaid.
Functionality of WASH facilities has stagnated to 85% for over five years.
In most parts of Uganda, the burden of collecting water falls especially hard on women and children, further inhibiting their opportunities and education.
“Lack of access impacts work and school time. When children miss school, it affects their performance, when women miss work while at the water source, it affects their productivity and earning. This means development will not be achieved,” Mujungusaid.
Girls are especially likely to drop out of school when sanitation facilities are not available, particularly during menstruation.
MohamoodLutaya, the Kampala area general manager at the National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC),said leaders must interest themselves in water and sanitation issues by boosting funding.
“You cannot prioritise what you donot have interest in. Water touches every one and every aspect of life; our leaders must ensure everyone accesses clean and safe water,” Lutayasaid.
The NWSC has a target of ensuring at least each village in Uganda has two public water stands.
Out of 57,893 villages, only 38,809 have one source of safe water.
The permanent secretary of the Ministry of Water and Environment, Alfred OkotOkidi, said the Government is committed to increasing access to safe water to every Uganda.
“No one must be left behind. As Government, we are doing all we can to give people safe water and we are progressing steadily,” Okidisaid.
Currently, more than half of the world’s population does not have access to safely managed sanitation and 3 billion people lack basic hygiene services.
Across the world, including Uganda, people still live with inadequate sanitation and hygiene services in their houses, schools and even in their health care facilities.
