17th July, 2009
Chris Ocowun (New Vision Reporter)
Kitgum leaders have applauded the African Medical and Research Foundation (AMREF) for championing hygiene promotion and provision of clean and safe water to the people in the return areas to avoid further outbreak of water born diseases like Hepatitis E which threatens the lives of the people of Kitgum.
During an outbreak of the deadly Hepatitis E which claimed hundreds of lives, the local government of Kitgum district together with the various development partners embarked on serious sanitation and hygiene promotion and provision of clean and safe water in the villages. Pots that were used to store drinking water were broken and replaced with jerry cans which are safer and more hygienic.
The district water officer, Willy Picho testified that by sinking 40 boreholes and one valley dam in the return villages, AMREF will provide clean and safe water to more than 120, 00 people within 24 parishes in the 12 sub counties out of the estimated 370,000 people living in Kitgum. “By sinking one borehole, AMREF will be providing clean and safe water to 300 people in the areas of return,” he said. He noted that the water problem in Kitgum district is real and pointed out that the rainfall that the population of Kitgum depends on for water is unreliable causing most streams to dry up.
Madi-Opei Sub County, where AMREF concentrated its water and sanitation promotion campaign is where the deadly Hepatitis E epidemic started in 2008. The first case of Hepatitis E was reported in May at Okol Parish where the launch of Sanitation Week took place.
AMREF in Uganda, with funding from the European Union and AMREF in Italy, is implementing a three year water and sanitation umbrella project in 25 sub counties in Kitgum and Pader districts where cases of Hepatitis E epidemic have been reported in the recent past.
“In Kitgum district alone over 40 boreholes will be sunk in villages, one valley dam constructed for watering animals and also help members of the community in a water stressed area, a motorised water supply system built at Kitgum High school to provide clean water to the students and the neighbouring communities,” Picho added.
Picho stated that the assessment done on water coverage in July 2008 showed that clean and safe water coverage in the district is as low as 40% especially in the return villages. These boreholes have been sunk in places identified by the members of the community.
“But unfortunately this project is due to end in November 2009 and yet we are behind schedule and as a result some areas will not be covered as planned unless the project is extended,” he revealed.
The Resident District Commissioner (RDC) of Kitgum, Alfred Omony Ogaba said that AMREF has been one of the partners in the district championing the promotion of hygiene and clean water provision in the return villages so that water born diseases do not continue to break out. “AMREF has been active in the areas of water and sanitation not only during the outbreak of Hepatitis E, but also as a major area of intervention during this return process,” the RDC said.
Ogaba added that AMREF has helped improve latrine coverage in the return villages where people are resettled by distributing sanitation tool kits for digging latrines to the various households. “The need for improved sanitation and hygiene in the areas of return is great. And the biggest challenge is how to change the habits and attitudes of the people to start using the latrines instead of using the bushes.”
He argued that if latrines are constructed, then members of the community should use them to avoid the re-occurrence of water born diseases such as cholera and Hepatitis E.
Ogaba reported that the cases of the Hepatitis E virus which had drastically reduced towards the end of the year recurred during the Christmas and New Year celebrations because people started brewing and drinking local brews like Kwete which had been banned by the district as one way of ensuring hygiene promotion in the villages. He said that during the festive season, people drunk and ate meat and other foods from unhygienic places which led to the recurrence of the disease.
Years of civil war in northern Uganda have left many people living in displaced persons camps, unable to return to their homes. Three quarters of people in Gulu, Pader and Kitgum districts live in these camps, with little or no access to clean water. This coupled with poor hygiene and sanitation means that people are vulnerable to disease.
