Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Challenges in Informal Settlements in Kampala, Uganda: A Qualitative Study

Diarrhea causes 1.6 million deaths annually, including 525,000 children. Further, chronic diarrhea puts children at risk for mineral deficiencies, malnutrition, and stunting which, in turn, can result in cognitive deficits, poor performance in school, and decreased disease immunity in adulthood. Most diarrhea is caused by water contaminated by fecal matter. Interventions to improve clean water and sanitation can save lives; however, challenges persist in informal settlements. In this study, we explored the views of residents of informal settlements regarding water and sanitation in their communities. Focus group interviews were conducted with residents of 6 informal settlements in Kampala, Uganda ( n = 165 people), and 6 key informant interviews were conducted with governmental and nongovernmental organizations that work to improve informal settlements or provide services to them. The results from this study demonstrate that, although these informal settlements had many infrastructure “upgrades” such as latrines and toilets, water taps, wells, and garbage collection and drainage systems, the water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) system and its components largely failed due to point-of-use charges of water taps and toilets and the difficulty of emptying cesspits. Our results suggest that WASH must be considered a system and that multiple upgrading efforts are needed for WASH systems to work, including road construction and better oversight of fecal sludge disposal.