An investigation on the factors affecting access to clean water: a case study of Kayunga District

Abstract

The lack of access to clean water is one of the most significant hindrances towards the sustainable development of the most vulnerable populations in the world, especially in developing countries including Uganda. In recent years, national and international organizations have doubled their effort towards improving access to clean water supply and sanitation in rural communities as a way of controlling and preventing diseases and high lowering government expenditures on disease outbreaks. The aim of the study was to investigate the factors that influence access to clean water in Kayunga district, Uganda. Secondary data from the 2016 Uganda Demographic and Health Survey (2016 UDHS) was used in this study to assess the various factors affecting access to clean water. All women aged 15-49 in selected households were eligible for individual interviews and all men aged 15-54 were eligible for individual interviews during the survey. Secondary data was analysed using STATA 14 statistical software package to provide findings. The analysis was done at three levels that is, descriptive statistics (frequencies) at the univariate level, Pearson’s Chi-Square test of independence at the bivariate level and a binary logistic regression test was run at the multivariate level. The unimproved water sources comprised of the biggest percentage at 69.4% (n= 1720) implying that there is low access to clean water. Variables that were significant (p < 0.05) from the bivariate level through the multivariate level were considered to highly influence the factors affecting access to clean water. These variables that were statistically significant at the multivariate level were time taken access the water source and wealth index within households., where respondents with a high level of education have access to improved water sources thus access to clean water sources unlike respondents with lower levels of education and respondents with a high wealth index such as the rich have access to improved water sources unlike the respondents with a low wealth index. However, the Government of Uganda through the Ministry of water and environment should revise its water policies and improve its water services especially in the rural areas. This is because Uganda's rural water supply has not yet been developed to achieve the MDG of water supply with principles of affordability and availability.