Factors affecting accessibility to clean water in the rural areas in Uganda: a case study of Ankole Sub-Region

Abstract

Inaccessibility to clean water has remained the major cause of diseases prevalent in the populations in developing countries not only in the sub-Saharan Africa but also the world at large. These diseases include but not limited to Cholera, typhoid, dysentery, diarrhea and malaria. Governments of developing countries through arrangements with donors and international organizations like the UN and WHO are fighting tooth and nail to ensure that populations have access to clean water thus lessening the burden brought about by the worrying situations of waterborne diseases thus ensuring healthy communities for development purposes. The aim of the study was to investigate the factors that affect access to clean water in the Ankole sub-region, Uganda. Secondary data from the 2016 Uganda Demographic and Health Survey (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 during the survey. Secondary data was analyzed 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, bivariate and multivariate level. The unsafe water sources comprised of the biggest percentage at 54.71% (534) 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 affect access to clean water. These variables that were statistically significant at the multivariate level were location of the water source, education level and wealth index within households., where respondents with a high level of education have access to improved 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. The Government of Uganda through the NWSC should do all it takes to ensure improvement in water services especially in the rural areas in order to achieve the MDG of water supply with principles of affordability and availability.