Water & Sanitation

In developing countries, 80% of infections derive from the use of unhealthy water and poor hygiene practices: the use of unsafe water sources (surface and contaminated water), inadequate sanitation and poor hygiene are among the main causes of the spread of cholera and infectious and tropical diseases (WHO, UNICEF 2015).

In Karamoja, only 15% of families make use of improved sanitation facilities; only 32.4% of the families of Napak and Moroto are informed about the consequences of the use of contaminated water and this leads to the finding of a high incidence of diseases related to the use of unsafe water sources.

AMCS has intervened since its foundation in support of rural populations, in particular in Northern Uganda, to guarantee safe water sources and adequate sanitation, in line with Sustainable Goals 6 of the 2030 Agenda.

In the WASH sector, the "Integrated intervention for the technical and sustainable improvement of the maintenance and rehabilitation system of wells in the Karamoja Region" program has been active since 1983, involving 2,273,308 people and rehabilitating 2,210 wells and the well drilling program. which allowed the creation of more than 1,000 wells and involved 1,150,413 beneficiaries from 1983 to 2020. The second part of the "Wash in School" project, funded by KOICA-Korean cooperation, in partnership with UNICEF, is currently underway: the main activities concern training on good hygiene practices and involves the involvement of primary and secondary schools, for a total of 42,350 students. The "Nuyok" project, funded by USAID in collaboration with Catholic Relief Service as leader of the consortium, is being closed, which aims to guarantee clean water and improve the hygiene conditions of the population, with the aim of protecting the health of pregnant and lactating women and children.

The AMCS intervention strategy in the WASH area therefore includes not only drilling and restoration of wells or the construction of latrines, but also and above all the involvement of the local population, through training on good hygiene practices, the transmission of technical knowledge for adequate management of water resources, the creation of Management Committees, collaboration with local institutions and stakeholders in the area, to encourage the development of greater awareness for the protection of human health, both in children and adults.