Wash

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 functionality 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. Diarrhoea accounts for almost 5% deaths of children under five and pnemonia (or acute respiratory illness) accounts 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, students cannot put good knowledge into practice. Only 1 in 5 primary schools sampled by the Ministry of Education 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 provided in only 72% of schools which means that the girl child, children with physical disabilities, the youngest children and staff have inappropriate access. Furthermore, only 39% of schools have hand-washing facilities. 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 National average

© UNICEF Uganda/Chulho Hyun

Simple hand-washing with water and soap can reduce the incidence 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 sanitation 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 facilities and other essential community points. • Children and their caregivers know and employ proper hygiene practices as a result of effective community-based behaviour change communication (including Community-led Total Sanitation approaches and PHAST methods). • Local Governments have improved capacity to plan, implement, supervise, coordinate, and monitor sustainable WASH sector interventions through training and technical assistance. • Adequate resources are allocated from the national to district levels for WASH as a result of evidencebased planning, policy and standards development, as well as documentation of lessons learned.

latrine co verage

INDICATIVE BUDGET FOR 2009

National average

80%

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.

60% 40% 20%

FOR MORE INFORMATION

0%

Karamoja

Acholi

Western

Lango

Teso

Chander Badloe Karen Allen Chief, WASH Programme Deputy Representative [email protected] [email protected]