Factors influencing the access to safe clean water and sanitation in Iganga-Mayuge district.

Abstract

Background, Water is vital to all conservational, human, and social processes, it is a key component both for life itself and for growth. According to the World Health Organization, and United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund’s (UNICEF) nearly 844 million people Worldwide required access to safe water in 2015. In Africa, the struggle for access to clean drinking water is one of today's most obvious examples of how water scarcity leads to the delaying and reversal of human progress. In Uganda 83.5% of the population’s sanitation facilities have no hand washing facilities only 8% have water and soap, Urban households travel over 100-200 meters to the main source of water compared to 700-800 meters in rural areas Only 15% of people have access to water on tap, regardless of improvements. Methods: This study used data collect by MUCHAP (2017/2018), The study focused on 3466 adult population from Iganga-Mayuge district eastern Uganda. Analysis was done at univariate, bivariate and multivariate levels. The factors investigated included, Age, Religion affiliation, Education, Residence, own latrine, Garbage disposal, Quintile, and marriage statuses of the population. Results: This study found that 85.52% had access to safe clean water and 14.48% had no access to safe clean water and sanitation of which majority where between the age of 18-30 years (30.49%) and 61+ where 9.98%, education majority had attained primary level (73.23%) and 0.98% had no education, 73.98% had never gotten married and 1.85% divorced. About the religion 54.85% where Muslims and 0.4% Pentecostal and the quintile statuses 40.24% were poor and the least poor where 8.37%, 96.51% of the population owned latrine and only 3.49% had no latrines. The study also found that 65.18% used Garden means as their garbage disposal and the majority stayed in Rural areas with 75.56% and 24.4% stayed in peri urban centers. Education was the only factor found significant at multivariate analysis. Conclusion: Education was found to be the most fundamental factor that influenced access to safe clean water and sanitation in Iganga-Mayuge district. The researcher therefore recommends that, the Government and NGOs should continue to sensitize the masses about sanitation facilities (garbage disposals and owning latrines).