By Racheal Amuge,
KAMPALA
Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) advocates have called on the Ugandan government to take decisive action by allocating more funds to improve WASH services across the country.
This appeal follows a recent study by WaterAid and the World Bank, which revealed that inadequate WASH services disproportionately affect women, who make up a significant portion of Uganda’s caregiving workforce.
Speaking at the launch of a WASH campaign at Hotel Africana, the WATER AID country director Joyce Mpalanyi Magala emphasized the need for increased government funding and collaboration with non-state stakeholders to improve access to clean water and sanitation.
Magala emphasized that Girls often face the risk of dropping out of school due to inadequate sanitation facilities, especially during menstruation, while women in rural areas are at heightened risk of gender-based violence during long hours spent collecting water.
She further highlights that without urgent intervention, Uganda risks falling short of its SDG commitments, with dire consequences for the country’s health, education, and economic sectors.
“Access to gender-responsive WASH services is a pressing challenge in Uganda. We must collectively address this to promote equality and meet the Sustainable Development Goal 6 targets.” – Dr. Joyce Mpalanyi Magala
