Uganda behind in sanitation - report

The report blames the slow progress to neglect of the sanitation and hygiene sector.

Kampala

A new report by an international organisation, WaterAid, shows that Uganda is still lagging behind on the reduction of people without sustainable access to basic sanitation.

Uganda, according to the report, has achieved only 34 per cent access to basic sanitation compared to the required 72 per cent by 2015. This means that more than half of the Ugandan population lack access to basic sanitation facilities.

Rwanda, one of the five African countries studied in the report, has achieved 64 per cent access to basic sanitation. However, the same report also indicates a steady progress that Uganda has achieved in access to clean and safe drinking water, which stands at 72 per cent. “Only four countries in the region are on track to achieve the MDG target and, on current trends, the target will not be met until well into the next century,” notes the report.

While Uganda is not performing well in regard to sanitation and hygiene, it has scored better than several African countries like Sierra Leone, where only 13 per cent of the population has access to adequate sanitation. The authors attribute the slow progress to neglect of the sanitation and hygiene sector and poor funding.

Funding blamed
Uganda’s funding for the two key sectors has been declining since 2007. For instance, in 2010 the water and sanitation sector was allocated Shs122 billion which declined by Shs30 billion, while in 2012, the figure declined to Shs84 billion only, leaving a gap of $87 million (Shs217 billion), according to date from the report.

aayebazibwe@ug.nationmedia.com