25 million Ugandans don’t wash after visiting toilet, says minister
Water minister Ephraim Kamuntu (C) receives a plaque of himself from Postbank Board chairperson Grace Bakunda (R) as the bank’s managing director, Mr Stephen Mukweli, looks on. This was during the launch of the Postbank’s Water and Sanitation Loan facility in Kampala yesterday. PHOTO BY FAISWAL KASIRYE
What you need to know:
Sanitation. The Minister for Water and Environment says even those who attempt to wash their hands, do not use soap.
Kampala. A day after Uganda Bureau of Statistics released the provisional population census figures, the Ministry of Water and Environment yesterday said 71 per cent of Ugandans do not wash their hands after visiting a toilet.
The Minister for Water and Environment, Prof Ephraim Kamuntu, said even those who attempt to wash their hands after visiting the toilet do not use soap.
Prof Kamuntu was speaking at a function to mark International Toilet Day yesterday. He launched the Water and Sanitation Loan facility by Postbank Uganda at Kampala Serena Hotel.
“Only 29 per cent of Ugandans wash their hands after toilet. The rest walk away. Others defecate in the open and that discharge is washed into water sources. Those with pit latrines do not have toilet paper. They use their hands and after coming out, they want to greet you,” he said.
On Tuesday, the Uganda Bureau of Statistics released the provisional 2014 census results which indicate that Uganda has 34.9 million people. This implies that about 25 million Ugandans do not wash their hands after visiting a toilet.
“A 2012 World Bank study in Uganda showed that without sanitation facilities, the opportunity costs foregone when treating waterborne diseases among children and women is equivalent to Shs389 billion which government loses annually,” said Mr Patrick Allube, the regional director for Water.org, a World Bank-supported water and sanitation programme.
Mr Allube said the Shs389 billion loss Uganda incurs annually translates into about 1.1 per cent of the country’s total GDP. He said if all Ugandans had water and sanitation facilities, poverty would significantly reduce.
Mr Stephen Mukweli, the Postbank managing director, said the loan scheme will help especially rural people to access water and sanitation services.
THE efforts
The World Bank estimates that Uganda loses Shs389 billion annually in treating water and sanitation related diseases.
