Gov't asked to invest more in establishing hand washing facilities

In Summary
  • Globally, 3 billion of world population lack access to hand washing facility
  • WHO estimates that 50% of under-nutrition is associated with infections caused by unsafe water.
Hellen Kasujja Nakawooya, Deputy ED, CIDI

Right to Grow consortium- Uganda led by Community Integrated Development Initiative- CIDI, world Vision, Center for economic governance and accountability in Africa have implored the government of Uganda to enhance behavior change as a key to increasing hand washing with soap and ending open defecation.

Speaking as Uganda joined the world to commemorate Global hand washing day today 15th October, Hellen Kasujja the deputy executive Director of CIDI said that in sub-Saharan Africa 63% of the urban dwellers lack access to hand washing facilities as an important first step and it must be complemented by promotion of hand washing behavior to ensure hand washing becomes a long term habit and norm.

According to her, once behavior change towards hand washing with soap and water is encouraged it reduces diarrhea morbidity by 48%.

She further added that many Younger children are deprived of clean water whereby 33% of children don’t have access to safe water whereas 60% of children need a 30 minutes to walk to have clean water according to statistics from the Community Integrated development Initiative CIDI.

According to CIDI Senior Programmes officer health department,  Evelyn Zalwango Miyingo, the world health Organization WHO estimates that 50% of under nutrition is associated with infections caused by unsafe water, inadequate sanitation, or insufficient hygiene.

She notes that in Uganda, 33% of children under 5 years are stunted and 14% are severely stunted because when children are introduced to food by 6 months they are more likely to develop diarrhea due to poor food handling and hygiene and this results in eating less, limited absorption of the food nutrients among others.

While presenting a call to action to the different stakeholders, Alice Nakku working with world vision noted that Youth across the country must be supported financially by the government and private sector to foster innovations in health especially in the wake of COVID-19 to manufacture cost - effective hand washing facilities and liquid soap for the communities.#

She also added that the government with support from National water and sewage cooperation should increase accessibility to cheap and affordable water to people especially in the urban slum areas as will also improve the hygiene habits.

Global hand washing day is an annual global advocacy day dedicated to advocating for hand washing with soap and water as an easy, effective and affordable way to prevent and save lives. the day was first observed in 2008 and it provided an opportunity to create awareness as well as advocate and call to action for washing of hands with soap and water.