While there are many indications that the enabling environment for safely managed WASH in Uganda is improving, high-risk practices (open defecation, lack of hand hygiene, use of surface water) persist in rural regions.
Uganda is a young, fast-growing, and rapidly urbanizing country: 45 percent of the population is under 15, the urbanization rate is 5.6 percent per annum, and gross domestic product (GDP) per capita in 2021 was $884.
The last few decades have witnessed substantial gains in access to sanitation, as nearly 2.4 billion people gained access to improved toilets and open defecation (OD) rates fell 12 percentage-points globally (from 21% to 9%) between 2000 and 2020.
The last few decades have witnessed substantial gains in access to sanitation, as nearly 2.4 billion people gained access to improved toilets and open defecation (OD) rates fell 12 percentage-points globally (from 21% to 9%) between 2000 and 2020.
Millions of people in rural areas of low- and middle-income countries still lack access to basic water services. In fact, as of 2020, the majority of people without basic water services lived in rural areas.