Civil society organisations have asked government to honour its promise to waive off tax on sanitary pads to support menstrual hygiene for women.
Addressing journalists as part of the ongoing national sanitary week and the Uganda water and environment week, civil society organization under the Uganda Water and Sanitation Network(UWASNET) said whereas government promised to ensure sanitary pads are provided free of charge, they are heavily taxed, making it difficult for many girls and women, especially in rural areas fail to afford them.
"Pads should be for free, but surprisingly, taxes are being increased on these items. This is very unfortunate because menstruation is not a choice, All females have to painfully go through it every month. What we are asking government is to take away the taxes on sanitary pads to make them affordable," Leonard Opeto, the technical program officer at World Vision Uganda said.
He explained that women and girls are particularly impacted by poor sanitation but have been left out of community planning processes , quoting a 2023 study which indicated that women were only 30% involved in household sanitation investment.
The CSOs said the insufficient safe water and poor sanitary conditions in households, schools, health centres and public facilities are largely barriers to eradicating extreme poverty and the prevention of economic and human development in Uganda but said this trend ought to change.
They said that much as Uganda has registered process in terms of access to safe water which currently stands at 72% in urban areas and 67% in rural areas, compared to the average for the rest of Sub Saharan Africa which stands at 57%, achieving people-centered goals is heavily reliant on global partnerships.
"Despite the government's investment towards the realization of SDG 6 of ensuring universal access to clean and safe water, sanitation and hygiene by 2030, the country is still logging behind in achieving it. This is even made worse by the 14 million Ugandans who are still practicing open defecation in some communities while institutional WASH mainly in schools and health care facilities remains a serious challenge where over 1640 healthcare facilities either have limited or no access to water within their premises,"Opeto said.
He mentioned Terego, Pakwach, Zombo, Dokolo, Buliso, Koboko and Ntoroko as some of the worst performing districts.
The CSOs said government out to increase the funding for WASH in order to sustain the current level basic safe water coverage and prevent the risk of losing the gains already made in reducing diarrhea diseases.
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They said Uganda requires USD 1.7 billion annually to implement water and environment related programs.
Aisha Nankanja, the Executive Director for Rural water initiative for climate action said it is high time government repurposed the budget for WASH to maximise its impact through allocating more resources on rehabilitation and upgrading of old water supply systems but also expand the water supply service.
"This should include identification of high yielding boreholes for pumping to supply more people using solar energy but also the budget allocation to sanitation focusing on institutions like schools and health centres as ell as public places and along highways should be increased," Nankanja said.
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James Cleto Mumbere, the Policy and Advocacy coordinator for UWASNET said it is high time local communities participated fully in changing the situation, noting that it begins with changing their behaviours.
"Over 80% of the water taken at domestic level is contaminated with fecal matter. We could be having safe water sources but water is contaminated at points of consumption. The cups and glasses we use to take for water are the ones that contaminate it. This calls for us to change our behaviour," Mumbere said.
"As Ugandans, we should start cleaning our different environments. It is our right to live is a safe and secure environment to reduce on burden of diseases."
