Water, Health and Sanitation Related Diseases and Risk Factors in High Density Low Income Urban Settlements in New Cities in Uganda: A Case Study of Ojwina Ward, Lira West Division, Lira City

Abstract

This study was carried out to access the WASH practices and related sanitary diseases in Ojwina ward, Lira West Division. The objectives were to access community WASH knowledge, perceptions and practices; community awareness of WASH laws and regulations; distribution of WASH sensitive hotspot risk areas; assess presence of sanitary facilities and safe water sources; and determine hygiene and sanitation risk factors and prevalence of related sanitary diseases. Data was collected using questionnaires as the main tool, interviews, observation checklist, GPS locator and a camera and the data was summarized and analysed under Microsoft excel. Data was presented informs of graphs and pictures and percentages. The results of the study indicate that relatively, a large proportion of the community have access to sanitation facilities and very few with handwashing facility with soap at the latrine locations. Pit latrines were the most common shared sanitation facility in the area. The findings also shows awareness of the sanitary practices and related diseases amongst the community. This could have contributed to the high prevalence of the sanitary diseases especially between the age groups of (29 days - 4years and those of above 20years). The study found there was poor management of waste dumping areas and these were draining into drainage canals, very poor state of the street market vendor points with poor hygiene practices, open public dump sites within home premises and also unmaintained open water sources.The rates for access to an improved water source is higher than those of improved sanitation, availability of handwashing facility at the latrines. Education, urban setting and household wealth index are the key factors associated with the poor access to WASH in Ojwina ward, Lira West Division.