Households’ access to safe water and improved sanitation in urban slum settlements: case of Kampala’s slums, Uganda Innocent K. Tumwebaze, Department of Psychology, University of Zurich Introduction The increase in Kampala City’s urban population has stimulated exponential growth of informal settlements. Increase in slum population with less access to safe drinking water and improved sanitation is a public health threat. This study aimed to assess slum inhabitants’ access to safe drinking water and improved sanitation. Empirical evidence provided through this study can inform relevant policy formulation and appropriate interventions. Table 1. Implications and other key findings 85.4% of households have access to piped water. 68% of household families that use public piped water are tenants. 59% of household families that use private piped water live in their own houses. 61% of household respondents using unprotected wells are tenants 68% of household families using unprotected wells use simple pit latrines as their sanitation facilities Methodology Cross-sectional study conducted in 2010 across 50 randomly selected urban slums in Kampala household respondents interviewed. Data collected using semi-structured household questionnaires, supplemented by an observational checklist. Figure 2. Implications and other key findings 90% of respondents have access to on-site sanitation facilities. Only 20% of the households’ use shared toilets. About 70% of the facilities are traditional pit latrines with a slab. Only 47% of the facilities are clean enough to use 52% of the respondents not satisfied with the facilities they use. 41% of the traditional pit latrines with a slab been in use for more than 5 years Table 1: Main sources of drinking water in Kampala’s slums, 2010 NCCR North-South, Eawag / Sandec, Prof. Dr. Hans-Joachim Mosler, Eawag, Prof. Dr. Jonas Klaus, University of Zurich, Dr. Christoph Lüthi, Eawag, Dr. Charles Niwagaba, Makerere University Acknowledgements Figure 2: Access to sanitation facilities in Kampala’s slums, 2010 For more information 1. Tumwebaze, K. I., Orach, C., Niwagaba, C., Lüthi, C., Mosler, H.J. (2012) Sanitation facilities in Kampala slums, Uganda: users’ satisfaction and determinant factors, International Journal of Environmental Health Research Tumwebaze., K. Innocent., Horst., Alexandra., Lüthi., Christoph., Interdisciplinary research on urban sanitation in Kampala’s slum settlements – Preliminary results. Sandec: Department of Water and Sanitation in Developing Countries News, No. 13, Eawag. ec_news_13.pdf ec_news_13.pdf 3. Günther Isabel., Horst Alexandra., Lüthi Christoph., Mosler Hans-Joachim., Niwagaba B. Charles., Tumwebaze K. Innocent., Where do Kampala’s poor “go”? Urban sanitation conditions in Kampala’s low-income areas. Research for Policy. a.pdf a.pdf Main drinking water sources FrequencyPercentage Public piped Private piped Protected well Unprotected well412.7 Water vendor4.3 Bottled water362.4 River/stream/pond231.5 Rainwater8.5 Total Source: Kampala Policy brief, Water and Health Conference: Science, Policy and Innovation, October 29 – 2 nd November 2012, UNC, Chapel Hill Figure 3: Satisfaction and cleanliness of sanitation facilities in Kampala’s slums, 2010 Figure. 1: Location of surveyed slums