A total 36 primary schools within Acholi Sub region have benefitted from a Shs 1.2 billion sanitation facilities commissioned in a bid to improve sanitation and reduce on likely risks of pupils getting infections due to poor hygiene,.
The facilities that included, Ferro-cement rainwater harvesting tanks, Hand washing facilities, water borne toilets and Garbage Skips were commissioned in 20 primary schools in Gulu Municipality, 13 schools in Kitgum district and three primary schools in Pader district.
AMREF Health Africa Uganda and European Union under the ACP-EU water facility programme funded the facilities in poor peri-Urban and urban communities of Uganda.
Speaking at the commissioning of the facilities at Pece Primary school in Gulu Municipality on Wednesday, Eng Mutwalib Walude, AMREF’s AMREF health Africa Acting Programme Manager for water and sanitation, who represented AMREF’s country director, said AMREF has served Uganda for 20 years in sanitation related field.
“Water, sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) has represented a vital component of the health responses by AMREF health Africa, in Uganda with Over 20 years experience in implementing was intervention. In Kampala, we have previously implemented a number of projects in the 1980’s,” says Eng Walude.
Sanitation coverage in urban areas in Uganda is estimated at 84 percent, which is far from the national target of 100 percent by the end of this year., the equivalent access to an improved water source in urban areas is 72.8 percent, adds Eng Walude.
He noted that access to hand washing facilities is still at 32.7 percent in rural areas and 35 percent in urban areas which he says still leaves some gaps to be addressed’
Mr Mutwalib said having in place a safe and sustainable sanitation facilities not only drastically reduces the burden of diarrheal diseases and health care related costs but also increases schools attendance especially girls .
Gulu acting Resident District Commissioner, Mr Tony Awany who was the chief Guest at the commissioning of the facilities lauded Amref’s initiative arguing the it will help save the children who are at most times vulnerable to Diarrheal diseases due to poor sanitation.
“We still have a number of children who continue to suffer from Diarrhea, Bilarzia , Cholera, ringworms among others and all this is a sign of poor hygiene. The impact directly affects their studies,”
He added that with the support that AMREF has provided will help in reducing such cases adding that teachers should be ambassadors in teaching pupils good health.
Mr Jose Acire, the Municipal Education officer (MEO), in an interview with Acholi Times said that schools within Municipality still faces challenges of poor sanitation due to the low School Facility Grants provided by the government.
“This financial year, we received Shs 200 million as School grants for schools. This is the same cash the municipal authorities use for emergency refurbishments of facilities in various schools and also constructions of teachers houses,”
He said due to the limited cash the municipal has at disposal, their hands are at time tight to work on dilapidate latrines and construct new ones in various schools within the Municipality.
“looking at the numbers of schools and the population of pupils, there are still wide gaps, you find that a stance of latrine is used by over 60 pupils against the standard of One stance of latrine to 40 pupils ,” says Mr Acire.