Africa-Press – Uganda. A five-year program strategy by WaterAid Uganda has been launched to prioritize Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) to improve public health.
The Vice President Ms Jessica Alupo, launched the five-year (2023-2028) program on Wednesday as Water Aid Uganda celebrated 40 years of service at Speke Resort Munyonyo.
“10 per cent of rural communities had access to clean water in 1996. The situation has since improved and as of now, 67 per cent of people in rural areas and 72.3 per cent in urban areas use clean water. I appreciate WaterAid for focusing and promoting accessibility of clean Water, Sanitation and Hygiene in both private and public spaces. This is a step in the right direction,” she said.
Ms Alupo noted that the government is committed to working with WaterAid Uganda to advance access to WASH services to citizens in all areas.
In order to further advance the WASH agenda, the State Minister for Water, Ms Aisha Sekindi, said that NRM had prioritized partnerships, resources and innovations in the relevant sectors in its Manifesto. She shared advancements made in the pipeline water systems distributed in areas of Rukungiri, Isingiro, Kitgum, Pader, Dokolo and Kagadi, as well as gravity flow schemes in Manafwa, Butambala and Ibanda.
“Each district receives not less than Shs600 million per year for maintenance, and some receive more than Shs1 billion, but it seems the information is not reaching the people who are supposed to play the oversight role in the districts. The President has already directed me to follow up on this matter,” she said.
The Country Director of WaterAid Uganda, Ms Jane Mselle Sembuche said that WASH vision is to realize a Uganda where everyone, everywhere has sustainable and Safe Water, Sanitation and Hygiene.
“The aim of the programme strategy is to prioritize WASH across the health sector to improve public health (integration of hygiene and behavioural change into core public health programmes). The other aim is to make WASH services and behaviours resilient to climate change,” she said.
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