Looming Crisis! Ministry Of Health Raises Alarm As 14,000 Villages Still Lack Access To Safe Water

By Spy Uganda

Kampala: The Ministry of Water and Environment has revealed that 14,000 out of Uganda’s 70,626 villages still lack access to clean and safe water, threatening the government’s efforts to improve sanitation and hygiene across the country.

Eng. Dr. Joseph Oriono Eyatu, Commissioner of the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Department, shared this during the 1st Presidential Dialogue on Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) held at Parliament on October 11, 2024. He stressed that equitable access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene is essential for health, productivity, and a dignified life. The government has made WASH services a priority in Vision 2040, the National Development Plan (NDP) III, and the NRM Manifesto.

“Millions of children die prematurely from diseases related to a lack of WASH services. This is unacceptable, especially since rural populations bear a disproportionate burden. The costs are estimated at UGX 4,308 billion—twice what is spent by those in urban areas,” Eng. Eyatu said. He added that time lost due to WASH-related issues in rural areas costs the economy UGX 210 billion annually, compared to half that amount in urban areas.

The economic toll of poor sanitation and hygiene is immense, with Uganda losing USD 177 million (UGX 650.853 billion) each year in healthcare costs, lost productivity, and diminished quality of life.

Dr. Henry Gatyanga Mwebesa, Director General of Health Services in the Ministry of Health, highlighted that 75% of Uganda’s disease burden is preventable, with communicable diseases like cholera, dysentery, diarrhea, typhoid, and skin and eye infections directly linked to inadequate WASH services. “WASH is a critical frontline defense against the spread of infectious diseases, which account for about 30% of our health sector challenges,” Dr. Mwebesa emphasized.

He also noted that WASH-related diseases cost the government UGX 530 billion annually, surpassing the UGX 511 billion allocated for medicines. He called for prioritizing WASH interventions as part of the national healthcare package to reduce the disease burden and improve health outcomes.

Despite some progress, such as improved latrine access rising from 19% in 2019 to 44% in 2023, rural areas still face significant challenges. Abim District Woman MP Hon. Janet Okori-Moe and Buyende District Woman MP Hon. Annet Mary Nakato decried the frequent breakdown of water sources like boreholes, forcing women and children to walk long distances for water.

“Even the education sector is impacted by the lack of water. Teachers arrive late because they must fetch water before starting classes,” said Hon. Okori-Moe. Hon. Nakato added that water shortages in Buyende contribute to domestic violence, as long wait times at broken boreholes lead to frustration.

Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja, representing President Yoweri Museveni at the dialogue, highlighted the government’s efforts to extend WASH services to 6,017 villages. She pledged to provide 70% of rural areas and 85% of urban areas with safe water sources, aiming to reduce the distance to the nearest water source to less than one kilometer in rural areas and half a kilometer in urban areas.

Nabbanja also urged religious, cultural, and local leaders, as well as public institutions, to promote handwashing as a daily practice to prevent infectious diseases. The dialogue, attended by representatives from UNICEF, UNHCR, and Civil Society Organizations, was held under the theme: Building Resilient Communities; Prioritizing Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Financing and Investment. The event aimed to trigger a presidential directive on prioritizing WASH across all sectors.

The dialogue underscored the importance of achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6, which calls for “clean water and sanitation for all” by 2030.