Members of the Parliamentary Forum on Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) together with Civil Society Organizations on Thursday called on the Government to increase the Budget allocation for Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, during the next Financial Year 2024/2025. They voiced the call during the 5th Annual Parliamentary Forum on WASH Symposium at Imperial Royale Hotel in Kampala.
“Health Centres 11 and 111 have water challenges. In Schools, learners travel long distances to get water, which is why the Government should consider increasing the budget for these essential amenities in the next financial year,” said Hon. Silas Aogon, WASH Parliamentary Forum Chairperson.
He said menstrual hygiene in school going girls in rural and urban areas is also very poor due to lack of adequate water, yet Government strategy is to have water for each household by the year 2030.
“We want people to use improved and safe toilets plus proper treatment and disposal of waste products,”he added.
Dr. Herbert Nabasa, the Ministry of Health Commissioner for Environmental Health said the Government , through his Ministry, is committed to having a productive and healthy population.
“The biggest (70 percent) of our diseases are preventable. Sanitation and water burden is real, which is why we should prioritize safe access to water,” he said.
He said the Government is faced with the challenge of rural and urban communities that still defecate in the open, saying the population risks contracting killer diseases such as Cholera outbreaks.
“We have agreed as a WASH Sector to work as a team. This is a sector that requires support from all stakeholders,”he added.
Hon. Emanuel Otala, West Budama Member of Parliament spoke on behalf of the Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Thomas Tayebwa. He said it’s important that the WASH program should be put on a National Agenda because 67 percent of Ugandans don’t have access to clean water and that one out of three people have access to clean water.
“This causes increased mortality rates. We should hear more of WASH Innovations at this Symposium,”he said.
The WASH Symposium ran under the theme: “National Development Program (NDP) 1V- Meeting our water, sanitation and hygiene commitments”. The forum was attended by Ministries of Water and Environment, Health and that of Education and Sports. Also in attendance were Non -Governmental and Civil Society Organizations. They included; UNICEF, ACORD, Habitat for Humanity, IRC Uganda, Twaweza, Water Aid among others.
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