Dr Atwine asks local leaders to arrest those without latrines

The Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Health, Dr Diana Atwine, has asked local leaders to hold people who do not have latrines accountable, for exposing citizens to diseases. 

"We must stop playing around. Leaders, get out of your comfort zones, and hold people accountable, those who are exposing people to sickness, actually those people can be charged in courts of law. The law is there," she said.

She said this on Friday during the national commemoration of sanitation week in Kakumiro District.

"How can Kakumiro have a low coverage of latrines and we are here, we call ourselves leaders. How? What has gone wrong? The health educators, we have revised the terms of employment and the targets, and what you need to do, you must get out of your comfort zones," she said.

According to the Uganda Demographic and Health Survey report released in early March, up to eight per cent of Ugandans still practice open defecation, a vice that compromises public health.

Mr Joseph Sentayi, the Kakumiro district chairperson, said "80 villages out of 625 have been declared open defecation free", meaning many are still struggling with the vice.

"We face the challenge of low staffing of environmental health workers which stands at 31 per cent. This limits our efforts on the ground. We want enough manpower," he said.

Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja who is also an area representative, pledged to improve water, sanitation, and hygiene service delivery through coordination and advocacy.

"As Prime Minister of the Republic of Uganda, and the leader of government business in Parliament, I am required to support and strengthen coordination to improve the water, sanitation and hygiene service delivery through the existing frameworks," she said.

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