Availability and Utilization of Hand Washing Facilities in Primary Schools in Ssabagabo Makindye Sub-County Wakiso District, Uganda
Poverty is highly prevalent among people in Ssabagabo-Makindye sub-county, Wakiso district in Uganda. The growing unemployment rate is very rampant in all areas. Lack of proper skills and deteriorating condition of the environment, such as various crimes, prostitution, early marriages and migrating to the city are only some of the problems in many communities in the place. Generally, fishing is the main source of income in the region. Despite the easy access to fishing waters and selling market, still the fishing community is the poorest population within the village. And, the most common top community problems among the population include poor sanitation, lack of clean water, no toilets, unemployment and illiteracy. The greatest challenges that the Uganda government is facing nowadays is the poor water condition and sanitation of the environment, as well as lack of natural resources. As a result, greater demands of fresh water and sanitation facilities in every school in every district are prevalent. This is the main reason that utilization of hand washing facilities as well as ensuring good hygiene practices among primary schools in Ssabagabo Makindye Sub-County Wakiso District, Uganda are strictly recommended by the Uganda government; in order to ensure the safety and prevention of any contaminated diseases among students. According to Hilary Rodham Clinton, as Secretary of USA government, the most important issues of every state that must be given top priority are reliable supply of clean water and basic sanitation among the people. She strongly believes that sustainable water supplies can make changes in the present situation in this district in Uganda. And, people can not live decently without proper sanitation. And, since almost schools do not have proper and clean toilet facilities, health officials in Uganda are recommending the use of hand washing facilities in every primary school in some districts in Uganda.
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Correspondingly, hand washing with soap before and after eating, after going to the toilet is strictly taught and implemented to 14 primary and high schools in the district. This is to show that the local government has been really allotted a large amount of money in obtaining medicines for the sickly, as well as to introduce to them the proper practice of good sanitation and hygiene in every district. Relatively, one survey showed that most poor communities in Uganda do not know how to use hand washing with soap. And, the most alarming part is they are not knowledgeable and aware of the health benefits of washing hands after visiting latrine or bush, as well as after handling children’s faeces, especially before feeding their babies. Furthermore, due to poor sanitary condition, local health agencies are doing massive hand washing campaign in most primary schools in Wakiso district to eliminate the increasing number of 30,000 deaths every year due to diarrheal and respiratory diseases among children. Hand washing facilities in all primary schools are being given top priority of the local government to at least, reduce the illness and death cases among children. The hand washing drive has been materialized by the joint efforts of stakeholders from different industries such as hotels, schools, medical practitioners who all aim to help the government sector to promote hand washing campaign to all educational sectors in the country. (http://washafrica.wordpress.com/tag/hand-washing/)
The ministry of Public Health and sanitation, the government has been active in national hand washing drive that may prevent water-related diseases to occur among children due to poor hygiene. This new campaign is to teach the community to enhance their awareness and empowerment of proper sanitation in every district, as well as to increase latrine coverage and easy access to safe water supply. This study reveals that other households do not have toilets inside their houses; they just use polythene bags at home, which they just throw on the road side, dust bins, on grasses, and dump areas in the neighborhood. This is the major reason that most of the primary school children are being taught of proper hygiene, in order them to share the message of hygiene with their family members. More than this, “Wash United” uses football –based games to educate primary and high school students on the importance of using safe drinking water, sanitation and proper hygiene and hand washing facilities; to keep the children physically fit too. On the other hand, the “World Toilet Cup is a Wash United trademark game that permits both students and their parents to join the game on how to learn and adapt sanitation habit in a fun way. However, some of the non-government organization members contested about the use of hand washing without good scrub, it could have been cleaner and healthier to use all these together to get rid of all germs. (http://washafrica.wordpress.com/tag/hand-washing/)
References:
(www.google.com.ph/#sclient=psy&hl=tl&site=&source=hp&q=Utilization+of+Hand+Washing+Facilities+in++Schools+in+Ssabagabo+Makindye+Sub+county+Wakiso+District%2)
(http://washafrica.wordpress.com/tag/hand-washing/)
(http://washafrica.wordpress.com/tag/hand-washing/)
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