Assessment of sanitation and hygienic practices in Nabukalu village, Kasita parish, Nabukalu sub county, Bugiri district
Abstract
BACKGROUND: A supply of clean, adequate, safe and close water supply and sanitation and hygienic facilities are two of the most fundamental basic human needs and human right. Yet, according to UN estimates (UNWWAP, 2003), “more than 1.1 billion people are estimated to lack access to safe drinking water while 2.4 billion people do not have adequate sanitation”. Information on sanitation and hygienic practices particularly at community level remains limited. Therefore, the main objective for this research was to assess the Sanitation and Hygienic practices and associated factors in the Nabukalu Village, Kasita Parish, Nabukalu Sub County, Bugiri District.
METHOD: A cross-sectional study was carried out and data was collected from 30 heads of households using a structured pretested questionnaire and observational checklist. This was triangulated with qualitative information obtained from in-depth interviews of the primary care takers (mothers and fathers). Univariate and multivariate analyses were carried out to determine the relationships between the potential factors associated with the sanitation as well as hygiene status.
RESULTS: More than 75 % of the households surveyed used improved water sources especially boreholes (about 66%) for their daily needs. On a good note, 50% of the investigated households had sanitation facilities at home, yet sadly, 100% of those without a toilet facility practiced open defecation. Over 80% of the households indicated they owned a waste disposal pit 10 meters from the house, and impressively 80% of the households practiced hand washing with soap before and after meals or after visiting a latrine. Several factors influenced the sanitation and hygiene status in Nabukalu Village. The absence of a toilet facility, lack of soap and the absence of hand-washing and hand washing facilities were the main factors associated with low sanitation level. A link was observed between sanitation and the level of education of the household heads; with hand washing among the totally illiterate household heads standing at 48.3%, in comparison to those who had attained some degree of education such as tertiary and secondary showing 93.1% and 96.8% hand washing respectively.
CONCLUSION: The availability of protected water sources, good water and food storage containers and proper waste disposal were identified as the main factors positively associated with improved sanitation. However, for a better understanding of the patterns of water contamination, testing of household stored water and water sources would be necessary. This study provides baseline information for future cross-cutting community interventions in Bugiri District and other local authorities.