Uganda has been elected to host a high-level forum and council of ministers on water and sanitation in Africa.
The 5th forum, which is to bring together ministers and water,
sanitation and hygiene (WASH) experts and investors from across Africa,
is scheduled for November, 2015 to devise ways of addressing sanitation
challenges on the continent.
Uganda was picked from among 23 member states of the Water and
Sanitation for Africa (WSA), a Pan-African Intergovernmental agency, on
Friday during the 3rd high level forum in Abidjan, Ivory
Coast.
Organised under the theme “Vibrant and effective south-south cooperation
to accelerate access to hygiene, sanitation and water for all in
Africa,” this year’s three-day forum attracted hundreds of participants
including from Asia and Europe.
Announcing Uganda as the host for the 5th forum, WSA chief executive
officer Idrissa Doucoure, said it was high time African leaders
acknowledged that boosting access to safe water and sanitation can help
drive development.
The state minister for primary health care, Sarah Opendi, who submitted
Uganda’s bid, said the conference would provide an opportunity to
address the wanting sanitation situation in the country. This will be
the first time the forum is held outside West Africa.
“The ministry of health submitted a request last year to join WSA
because sanitation is still poor and is not given the requisite
attention in the country. The Government has made some progress but we
still have a lot to do,” Opendi stated.

Representatives
of the 23 member states of the Water and Sanitation for Africa (WSA) at
the 3rd high level forum in Abidjan, Ivory Coast.
Although Uganda’s household latrine coverage has improved from 49% in
1998 to about 68% today, many people in areas rural like Karamoja are
still using the bush as their ‘toilet’. Latrine coverage in Karamoja
stands at 5%, according to Opendi.
Health ministry statistics show that only one in four Ugandans washes
hands properly- with soap and water- after using a latrine/toilet,
explaining why about 75% of the country’s disease burden is preventable
and linked to poor hygiene and inadequate sanitation facilities and
practices.
Uganda loses about 400 people daily from water-borne infections like
diarrhoea, Ebola, dysentery, cholera, and typhoid.
Participants at the forum in Abidjan called for increased investment in
the water and sanitation sector across the continent so as to spur
development.
Over 600 million Africans need improved sanitation while 345 million lack access to clean water.
As a result, between 10-20% girls drop out of school due to sanitation
problems, according to Lincoln Opio, the partnership portfolio manager
at WSA.
He said over 80% of the disease burden and 2,000 deaths among children in Africa were a result of poor sanitation.
“A dollar invested in water and sanitation yields four percent economic
opportunity,” Opio said, asking governments to align water and
sanitation projects in the respective development plans to increase
funding to the sector. |