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.