Compliance to Recommended Humanitarian Sphere Standards of Sanitation by the Facilities in Bidibidi Refugee Settlement Located in Yumbe District, Uganda

Abstract

Apposite sanitation is very essential for the community health, for it lowers the rate of morbidity and severity of diseases like diarrhea, dysentery and typhoid among others. In Uganda's Bidibidi refugee camp, research was started to understand if the proposed Humanitarian Sphere Standards on sanitation were met. A total of 210 households in the Bidibidi refugee camp were randomly selected, and one adult was interviewed to assess the accessibility of various sanitation facilities, as well as to investigate the sanitation standards of the sanitation facilities in relation to the recommended Humanitarian Sphere Standards in the area. Pit latrines, handwashing facilities, and solid waste disposal areas are the main sanitation facilities used in the refugee camp, according to 81.4 percent, 86.7 percent, and 51.9 percent of respondents, respectively. Despite their accessibility, the standards of the mentioned sanitation facilities are below the recommended standards, which might have contributed to the outbreak of sanitation related diseases (χ2= 19.66, df=1, P=0.05) in Bidibidi refugee camp. The respondents in the study area were aware that the presence of the sanitation related diseases was because of the low-level sanitation practices in place (χ2= 4.54, df=1, P=0.05). Low levels of education of the respondents are believed to have contributed to the inaccessibility to some sanitation facilities in the area (χ2= 130.37, df=1, P=0.05). This means that the sanitation facilities at the Bidibidi refugee camp, particularly the pit latrines and solid waste disposal facilities, need to be modified and enhanced in order to fulfill the minimal Humanitarian Sphere Standards. In addition, more taps with running water should be available in the camp for appropriate washing practices to reduce the spread of sanitation-related diseases.