Uganda Water Sanitation and Hygiene

The Right to Water and Sanitation (HRWS) was recognised as a human right by the United Nations General Assembly on 28 July 2010. In Uganda there are 8 million people without access to safe water and 32 million people with no adequate sanitation. Farmers struggle to grow crops and earn a living, trapping them in a cycle of poverty. In cities large slums are without proper drainage or toilets, leaving waste to gather in and around people’s homes. Over 4,000 children die from diarrhoea every year in Uganda caused by unsafe water and poor sanitation. Bringing clean water and improved environmental practices to communities has the immediate benefit of lowering the incidence of water related diseases such as bilharzia, trachoma, Guinea worm and diarrhoea and reducing childhood mortality. It frees up time for women and children to continue in education and employment who would otherwise spend many hours a day collecting polluted water from a distant source. Some girls even drop out of education as a result of the lack of private toilets available during their menstrual cycle. Improved health leads to higher productivity amongst wage earners and farmers, boosting the economy. Without WASH sustainable development is impossible.