Budaka District leaders have launched a hard-line campaign against residents who fail to construct pit-latrines in their homes and business establishments.
According to the health department officials, the move is intended to enforce public health regulations, with those found guilty of violating the regulations expected to be sentenced to three months of community service.
The enforcement campaign, led by the department of public health and sanitation will target households and establishments that have failed to comply with the legal requirement to have functional and hygienic pit-latrines.
Ms Jemimah Nantongo, the assistant district health officer-in-charge of the environment, said Budaka’s pit-latrine coverage stands at 74 percent, implying that 26 percent of the households lack pit-latrines.
‘Although the district has made a tremendous improvement in the pit-latrine coverage from 70 percent to 74 percent in the last two years, a good number of households don’t have pit- latrines,’ Ms Nantongo said.
Diseases associated with a lack of latrines are cholera, typhoid, diarrhoea, and dysentery. Ms Nantogo said the district will implement and enforce the Public Health Act to compel each household to own a pit-latrine.
‘Those arrested during the operation in their respective sub-counties will be forced to sign an agreement as a sign of showing commitment to construct pit-latrines in their homes before they are released and failure to do so, they will automatically be arraigned before court,’ she said.
Ms Nantongo noted that several patients who visit the health facilities present health conditions that can be prevented through improved sanitation and hygiene.
‘The overwhelming number of patients recorded at various health centres is becoming a big burden because some of the diseases could be prevented to at least 80 percent. But our people have negatively avoided to improve on their sanitation and hygiene,’ she added.
Statistics at the health department indicate that at least 26 percent of Budaka’s population of 300,428 lack pit-latrine, which figure contributes to 80 percent of preventable diseases registered at various health facilities in the district.
Ms Nantongo said although the mandatory depth for pit-latrines is at least 15 feet, several households just dig shallow holes, of about 2 feet, while others use anthills as pit-latrines with an excuse of having a rocky landscape or loose and watery soils.
She cited Lyama and Nasanga sub-counties as areas with the lowest pit-latrine coverage. Lyama stands at 58 percent whereas Nasanga stands at 6 percent and yet the entire district stands 72 percent.
Mr Issa Wamapakintu, a community mobiliser, welcomed the sanitation and hygiene campaign. ‘This business of littering anyhow should stop forthwith if are to address some of these diseases outbreak in the area,’ he said.
Mr Emmanuel Pajje, the Budaka LC5 chairperson, called upon locals to embrace the programme, saying it is essential for a healthy society.
‘These rampant sickness being registered at various health facilities is due to poor sanitation and hygiene. This leaves the community in abject poverty because the little they earn is spent on sickness,’ he said.
Mr Pajje added: ‘The district team will soon embark on home visits to ascertain and enforce construction of pit-latrines. Those without and those that will not comply with the Public Health Act will definitely be arrested and charged before court.’
He further explained that communities neighbouring schools have adamantly refused to dig up their own pit-latrines but instead turned to filing up school latrines, which makes it more costly to the school management and the district to continue digging up new latrines for the pupils.
‘We shall not continue to tolerate communities who have adamantly refused to dig up their own pit-latrines but hope to turn school latrines as theirs. This will not be accepted at all. Nobody should be allowed to trespass on school facilities,’he said.
National Cleaning Day
The government has gazzetted the last Saturday of every month as national cleaning days, mandating regular community sanitation exercises across the country.
The Ministry of Local Government in a September 15 letter notified all chief administrative officers, city town clerks and town clerks on the introduction of national cleaning days for a healthier and reproductive population.
The letter, signed by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Local Government, Mr Ben Kumumanya, stated that reference is made to a Cabinet directive to ministries, departments, agencies and local governments on integrating the national cleaning days in their plans and budgets.
The national cleaning day is scheduled to take place every last Saturday of every month from 8am to 12pm and will involve stakeholders at national, district, sub-county, parish, village and household levels.
The Permanent Secretary’s letter was in reference to that of the Prime Minister on September, on the launch and implementation of the initiative.
Accordingly, the Cabinet sitting, held on August 11, approved the launch and implementation of the the national cleaning day initiative.
‘This is a whole of government approach that seeks to empower communities across the country to recognise their primary role in maintaining their own health through addressing their social determinants of health,’ the letter reads in part.
She stated that once implemented, the national cleaning days will strengthen communities to enhance household incomes through reduction of the catastrophic expenditures on health due to preventable causes.