With support from the British Red Cross through the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent (IFRC), Uganda Red Cross Society distributed handwashing facilities to refugees in Kyangwali Refugee settlement in close partnership with the African Population & Health Research Centre (APHRC). Over 300 beneficiaries from Kyebitaka, Nyambogo, Kirokole and Kyenakyeitaka villages received soap and a hand washing facility known as Jengu.

The distribution is part of an ongoing study by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine United Kingdom together with the African Population & Health Research Centre (APHRC) to assess whether providing increased access to durable and desirable handwashing facilities will lead to increased hand washing behavior among crisis affected populations. The study will seek to understand what the community perceives of the newly donated Jengu handwashing unit.

This donation also comes after a study conducted by the London school of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine United Kingdom together with the African Population and Health Research in the refugee settlements in Uganda confirmed that, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH)-related diseases such as cholera and diarrhoea are a common occurrence in Data from health centres in Kyangwali refugee settlement indicated that diarrhoea comprises up to 5% of cases reported at the Health Centres in Kyangwali. The high incidence of WASH-related diseases in the settlement is attributed to, among others, poor WASH infrastructure and practices including handwashing with soap hence the distribution.

The Uganda Red Cross Society PMER Supervisor Alex Mugisha noted that “we are conducting a research on the use of Jengu handwashing facilities as a mechanism to improve household hygiene and reduction of diseases at household level.” He further stated that data will be collected from household level and at health facilities to ascertain the impact of the Jengu.

The Branch Manager Hoima Branch encouraged the beneficiaries to make proper use of the handwashing facility given to them to avoid reoccurrence of diseases such as cholera which have in the past affected the area.