HEALTH CENTERS IN KASESE DISTRICT GET WASH KITS

Promoting sanitation and hygiene in the 89 health facilities of Kasese district:

Published by; Geoffrey B. WASH Program officer KALI. 

  District Medical officer of Kasese and Sub county  leaders after meeting with minister of Defence Dr. C.Kiyonga on issues of Sanitation & Nutritional improvement in kasese district at Bwera Trs College.

 KALI in partnership with Kasese district local government with funding from CDC Atlanta through UVRI has been implementing a two month project on promoting Sanitation and hygiene at health facilities in Kasese district. This involved supporting the health facilities by installing hand washing and drinking water stations, training health workers in general sanitation and hygiene, and motivating health workers to use the water stations as platforms to teach their patients about the importance of water treatment, hygiene, and sanitation. These interventions also included; engaging with Health Unit Management Committees to assure a self-sustaining program.

The health facilities have acted as demonstration for good San&Hygiene to the community members who come for treatment. It is believed that after practicing hand washing and taking clean water at the health facility, community members will continue practicing the same in their homes.

The project aimed at creating demand for water treatment and hygiene and increasing access to hand washing and drinking water facilities as well as engagement with the Health Unit Management Committee (HUMC), sub county and district leadership

Hospitals, HC IV, HC.III and HC II in Kasese well given due attention during this project.

Activities Conducted:

1.      Conducted meetings with health workers at health unit level

2.      Conducted meetings with sub county leaders on their roles and purpose of the project

3.      Conducted meeting with District leaders on the distribution plan,

 Notes/Findings:

        I.            It was found out that most health units do not have access to water and those which had lacked constant supply at their facilities and this was affecting sanitation and hygiene at large.

      II.            It was found out that out of the 32 units visited; only Kasanga PHC had functional hand washing facility near latrine with soap fully an utilized.

    III.            Most of the units Visited had hand washing facilities only in the medical rooms but not near latrine.

    IV.            Some of the health units Visited had latrines not meeting sanitation conditions. Some of them had open defecation on and around their latrines.

      V.           

    VI.            It was also found out that water treatment was also not given attention at health unit level. Workers agreed that they thought tap water is always treated at the source, therefore safe.

  VII.            All sub county leaders appreciated the project innovation of improving sanitation at health unit level. Sub county chiefs and LC.iii C/persons pledged for total support at the time of implementation.

1.      Conducted leaders meeting with LC III C/persons of Bukonzo west constituency,DHO’s team, LC.V District CDO, Medical officers from; Hospitals of; Kilembe, Bwera,Kagando including Kasanga HSD,Rwensande HSD,Hima Cement H/C IV.

This meeting was on request of the minister to help mobilize the district stakeholders on sanitation and hygiene promotion as well as come up with action issues especially for those sub counties/households without latrines. The meeting was build on the background ensuring health centers work as centers of excellence in sanitation and hygiene which would roll down to communities through of eradicating cholera and typhoid.

           

 Result on training/meeting:

The sub county leaders who attended the meeting have affirmatively started monitoring Sanitation in their sub counties and arresting those without. New latrines have been built in Bwera and Nyakiyumbu Sub counties.

  

2.      Project launch with the MP Bukonzo West and Minister of defence Dr.C.Kiyonga with the entire public at Mpondwe Primary school. This launch aimed at mobilizing the entire Bukonzo west and the entire district of Kasese. It was attended by district leaders, Bukonzo west constituency leaders, VHTs and the community of Mpondwe Lhubiriha T/C.

3.      Distribution of the hand washing, Drinking containers and aqua safe.

4.      Training of Health workers on Hand washing, water treatment and the approaches to CLTS. This was facilitated by the District Health Inspector and Health Educator Kasese.

The training of Health workers:

1.        

 
Training health workers on water treatment.

Opening Remarks with a pre-test managed by Facilitators

2.       Presentation from DHI on the different types of water treatment, safe water chain and the effects of Cholera and typhoid to the communities.

3.       Presentation on Sanitation related disease & how they can be prevented with emphasis on hand washing at critical times

4.       Practical Illustration of water purification using Pure.

5.       Closure remarks by District Health Inspector-Kasese

The meeting started with introductions and participants expectation of the meeting as well as pre-test which was a good start. Participants were the district health officials including, health workers from Health Centers II, III, IV and Hospitals from Bukonzo East, Busongora North and South then Kasese Municipality.  Results obtained were as follows;

S/no	Range	No. of participants
1	100	2
2	90-99	04
3	80-90	24
4	70-80	27
5	60-70	10
6	50-60	4

The table above shows that none of the 71 participants was below 50%.

 The above results shows a picture of an average understanding of sanitation and hygiene issues by majority of the health workers, “ safe water chain and hand washing practices

However, the results indicated that there was still more needed to learn on water treatment methodologies and public sanitation & Hygiene facility management.

ATTENDANCE;

Practical Illustration on water treatment.

 

He talked about community led total sanitation, CLTS which involves all stakeholders to be conscious and take action on WASH.

An experiment of water purification was done which triggered their minds and emphasis on promoting WASH at their health centers which was evidenced by their confessions

ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE TRAINING

·         The health workers were able to understand much more the concept of WASH and use of Hand washing and safe drinking water chain

·         The training triggered participants on taking immediate action, sensitisation on treating drinking water to make it safe and adoption of hand washing as evidenced in their expressions and confessions during the water purification illustrations.

·         Willingness of Health workers to go sensitize and adapt to the best practice of hand washing and drinking water treatment at their health Facilities.

·         The participants promised to share the information received, conduct sensitization sessions at their health units as well as passing the information to the VHTs for more health talks to the patients.

·         All participants agreed to be champions of water treatment at their health facilities.

The distributions Made

 

S/n	Name of Health Unit served	Sub county	Grade
1	Kasanga PHC	MLTC	IV
2	Kamasasa	Karambi	II
3	Karambi H/C	Karambi	III
4	Kisolholho	Karambi	II
5	Bikunya	Karambi	II
6	Mushenene	Nyakiyumbu	III
7	Ihandiro	Ihandiro	III
8	Bubotyo	Ihandiro	II
9	Kikyo	Ihandiro	II
10	Buhunga Muyagha	Ihandiro	II
11	Kitholhu	Kitholhu	III
12	Kanyatsi	Kitholhu	II
13	Kiraro	Kitholhu	II
14	Kyampara	Isango	II
15	Kamukumbi	Isango	II
16	Katholhu	Nyakiyumbu	II
17	Kayanzi	Nyakiyumbu	II
18	Kinyamaseke	Munkunyu	III
19	Buhaghura	Rukoki	II
20	Kiburara	Kisinga	II
21	Nyabirongo	Kisinga	III
22	Kabirizi Upper	Kyarumba	II
23	Kyarumba	Kyarumba	III
24	Kyarumba PHC	Kyarumbu	III
25	Kabirizi Lower	L.Katwe	II
26	Kahokya	L.Katwe	II
27	Kitabu ST. Francis Martinet	Kyarumbu	III
28	Hamukunku	L.Katwe	II
29	Katwe	Katwe Kabatooro T/C	III
30	Mweya	L.Katwe	II
31	Katunguru	L.Katwe	II
32	Kasenyi	L.Katwe	II
33	Kasese Municipal	Nyamwamba Div.	III
34	Rukoki	Nyamwamba Div.	III
35	Bughalitsa	Rukoki	II
36	Kilembe Mines Hospital	Bulembya Div.	Hosp.
37	Kilembe H/C	Bulembya Div.	II
38	Kirembe	Central Div.	II
39	Nyakabingo	Rukoki	II
40	Mubuki Irrigation	Rukoki	II
41	Katooke	Bughoye	II
42	Nyangorongo	Bughoye	II
43	Bughoye	Bughoye	II
44	Maghoma	Bughoye	II
45	Maliba H/C	Maliba	III
46	Isule H/C	Maliba	III
47	Mukathi	Maliba	III
48	Muhokya	Muhokya	III
49	Kahendero H/C	Muhokya	II
50	Kasese Police station	Central Div	II
51	Katadoba UMSC  H/C	Central Div	III
52	Railway H/C	Central Div.	II
53	Bishop Masereka H/C	Central	III
54	St.Paul	Central	IV
55	Saruti H/C	Nyamwamba Div.	II
56	Kisamba H/C	Bughoye	II
57	RMS H/C	Bughoye	III
58	Ibanda H/C	Bughoye	II
59	Bikone	Maliba	II
60	Kyanya SDA	Maliba	III
61	Mubuku Prison	Maliba	II
62	Muhindi H/C	Nyakiyumbu	II
63	Nyabugando H/C	Mpondwe L T/C	III
64	Kihyo H/C	Maliba	II
65	Mubuku Kisojo	Maliba	II
66	Ibuga Prison	Kitswamba	II
67	Buhuhira	Kyabarungira	II
68	Bwesumbu	Kyabarungira	II
69	Kasangali	Kyabarungira	II
70	Nkoko	Kitswamba	II
71	Ibuga Refugees	Kitswamba	II
72	Kabiri	Muhokya	II
73	Butale	Mahango	II
74	Mbunga	Kilembe	II
75	Kyondo	Kyondo	III
76	Hima dispensary	Kitswamba T/C	III
77	Kavera army barracks	Hima T/C	III
78	Kabatunda	Kyabarungira	III
79	Kitswamba	Kitswamba	III
80	Nyamirami	Muhokya	III
81	Kalibo	Kilembe	III
82	Karusandara	Karusandara	III
83	Mahango	Mahango	III
84	Kanamba	Karusandara	III
85	Kinyabwamba	Kitswamba	III
86	Rwesande	Kyabarungira	IV
87	Kilembe Mines Hospital	Bulembya Div.	Hospital
88	Kagando	Kisinga	Hospital
89	Bwera Hospital	Mpondwe L T/C	Hospital
OTHER HEALTH UNITS GIVEN
90	Railway	Kasese Municipality	II
91	Kahendero	Muhokya	II
92	Kasungu	Bwera	II
93	Nyakimasa	Bwera	II
94	Bukangara H/C	Nyakiyumbu	II
95	Bwito	Kyondo	II
96	Nyakatonzi	Nyakatonzi	II

KEY PROJECT ACHIEVEMENTS.

·         This project has increased joint efforts in fighting sanitation and Hygiene diseases in the district. This was through engaging district leader both political and technical including Sub County and all HUMC in Kasese.

·         Patients, care takers and health workers from 96 health units are accessing hand washing facilities aqua safe water treatment tablets in Kasese district.

·          Patients, care takers and health workers accessing safe and clean water for drinking in the 96 health units of Kasese district.

·         Health workers of 96 health Centers wash their hands and instruments before and after patient contact

·         Health workers and VHTS from 96 health units report that they teach hand washing and water treatment to their patients before daily business at health centers.

·          At least a number  of patients and care takers practice hand washing with soap at critical times and observe safe water chain in their homes.