Knowledge, Attitude and Practices on Water, Sanitation and Hygiene among the Community in Lira District

Abstract

Background: In Uganda, more than half of the households use unimproved sanitation facilities, with only 19% of the households owning improved facilities, leading to the prevalence of sanitation-related diseases among the general population. The Government of Uganda has implemented community-led total sanitation by engaging the community in sustaining their own sanitation. The study assessed the knowledge, attitudes and practices among the community regarding WASH following the implementation of the CLTS program in Lira District. Methods: The study employed a cross-sectional design. Data was collected from 528 respondents using a close-ended questionnaires and analyzed using STATA version 17 at univariate, bivariate, and multivariate levels. Results: According to the study, the majority of the respondents (181;35.6%) were between the ages of 18 and 30, male (305;57.9%), and had a primary education (371;70.1%). The study also found out that earning between 50,000 and 100,000 Ugandan shillings (AOR=0.39, CI: 0.19-0.83), not knowing ways of preventing water borne diseases (AOR=0.29, CI: 0.14-0.61), not feeling the importance of having hand washing facilities (AOR=0.14, CI: 0.06-0.36) and not having a tippy tap (AOR=0.33, CI: 0.17-0.66) were associated with poor wash practices. Conclusion: Therefore, the researcher concluded that the WASH practices of community members were suboptimal and below the MOH target of the appropriate hygiene practice of WASH. Recommendations: Through this finding, better interventions and policies to reduce the burden of WASH related diseases be intensified, and also there is a need to intensify sensitization on water-related diseases and prevention, as well as enforce the installation, use and sustainability of hand washing facilities among the community in Lira District. Key words: Knowledge, Attitude, Practices on Water, Sanitation and Hygiene