Water ministry seeks sh5.6b to promote handwashing
Oct 02, 2023
“We need money to print informative education and communication materials for our primary audience. That is children aged between six years and 15 years,” senior environment health officer at the ministry Cate Namyalo says.
Cate Namyalo, water ministry senior environment health officer addressing participants during the national dialogue on scaling up handwashing with soap across the country. (Photos by Juliet Kasirye)
Juliet Kasirye
Journalist @New Vision
______________ Silas Aogon (left), Uganda Parliamentary WASH Forum chairperson raises a concern as Yunia Musaazi (right), Uganda Water and sanitation NGO Network ED and Hon Joseph Karungi, Kamwenge district chairperson (centre) looks on during the national dialogue on scaling up handwashing with soap across the country at Hotel Africana in Kampala
The Ministry of Water and Environment is seeking approximately sh5.6b to scale up widespread handwashing compliance among citizens across the country.
The funds, according to the ministry, will be used to carry out sensitisations on handwashing with soap across the country.
“We need money to print informative education and communication materials for our primary audience. That is children aged between six years and 15 years,” senior environment health officer at the ministry Cate Namyalo says.
According to Namyalo, the funds will be used to conduct research on which innovations work best in the Ugandan setting. For instance, communities, schools, healthcare facilities, and institutions.
To have a healthy population, Namyalo requested all key players and partners to invest in hand washing, water, and sanitation. The funds raised will not only help the ministry to promote public health interventions within the country but also reduce disease outbreaks such as cholera, diarrhea, Typhoid, and colds that can be prevented with proper handwashing with soap.
She made the remarks during the national dialogue on scaling up handwashing with soap across the country held at Hotel Africana in Kampala on Thursday.
The dialogue focused on strengthening the local financing mechanism for handwashing and sanitation across the country by amplifying the stakeholder’s voices toward the hygiene campaign.
“Our handwashing coverage is very low. In rural areas, handwashing coverage stands at 36% while in Urban areas stands at 54.6% which is way below what we want to achieve by 2030. The year of the sustainable development goal, (SDG),” Namyalo said.
According to Namyalo, some of the key issues that make us have low coverage in handwashing with soap include poverty and lack of access to water. For instance, in villages, most people don’t wash their hands because they have not articulated the importance of handwashing with soap and what it does in disease prevention.
“Other people say, they don’t wash their hands because they are poor, and cannot afford to buy soap. However, those who can afford to buy soap, say they don’t have access to water. Another category says, they have grown up not washing their hands, and nothing has happened to them.” Namyalo said.
According to the annual sector performance report 2023 conducted by the water ministry, 13.5 million Ugandans have no access to safe water. This report also indicates that 21,000 villages in Uganda have no water source in their villages.
Since the resource envelope of government is shared across all sectors, Namyalo requested civil society organisations, (CSOs) and development partners to come on board and support their call so that several people can have access to safe water and sanitation services.
“Handwashing with soap is without a doubt one of the most effective and accessible means of disease prevention, saving lives and reducing health care burden.” The assistant commissioner of research and development in the rural water supply and sanitation department, Eng Olweny Lamu said while representing ministry permanent secretary Alfred Okidi.
Okidi said to upscale handwashing with soap, there is a need to launch nationwide education and awareness campaigns focused on ensuring that every citizen understands the importance of handwashing.
“We need to explore innovative solutions such as mobile apps for awareness campaigns and monitoring. This can be done through supporting research to improve handwashing infrastructure,” Okidi said.
He requested all Ugandans to make handwashing with soap a way of life and a habit that can be passed on to generations to come. Noting that together, we can build a healthier, more resilient, and prosperous nation for all.
Hand washing challenges
According to the WASH programme manager for Water for People, David Katwere Ssemwanga, one of the biggest challenges affecting handwashing is the Inculcation of the hand-washing culture in the masses irrespective of economic status.
“Right now, many people don’t wash hands because it is not part of them. If an adult was not taught to wash hands while in primary school, such a person wouldn’t wash his hands before getting a meal,” Kalungi said.
Since no one is under obligation to wash hands, Ssemwanga, said, trivialisation is another greatest roadblock to handwashing. Adding that Some people are most likely to wash their hands if they are challenged.
According to sanitation experts, because of the low water infrastructure across the spectrum, you cannot promote handwashing without having access to clean water, and this calls for partnerships of different stakeholders so that water is closure to people.
Speaking on behalf of CSOs, the executive director of Uganda Water and sanitation NGO Network, Yunia Musaazi, said, that if we are to scale up handwashing, there is a need for effective coordination. Knowing who is operating where, who the underserved are, and the gaps.
“We need to work closely with the government and also support different blocks within the WASH system that call for capacity. We should support initiatives that involve close monitoring and accessing to know where the gaps are,” Musaazi said.
Since handwashing with soap is a survival practice that is behaviour in nature, chairperson of Uganda Parliamentary WASH Forum Silas Aogon requested religious institutions and cultural leaders to take the lead and preach to believers about the importance of handwashing with soap.
“Pastors and bishops should help us because whenever they talk, believers take their word seriously. On behalf of Parliament, we shall commit to ensuring that we provide that needed co-ordination, bringing all partners together, speaking one voice about handwashing.” Aogon said.
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