AMREF is implementing PHASE (Personal Hygiene and Sanitation Education) in Soroti – one of Uganda’s poorest districts. In Soroti, access to adequate hygiene and sanitation is poor, especially in schools. Only 65% of schools have access to safe water, and there is an average of 113 pupils per latrine (the national target is 40:1).
When PHASE started in Uganda, there were virtually no sources of information on good hygiene and sanitation (such as posters, school health clubs etc). This meant that awareness of the problems of poor hygiene was low.
PHASE aims
PHASE began in Soroti in 2004, targeting 112,702 children in 198 primary schools. With support from GlaxoSmithKline, AMREF works with local communities, the Ugandan health and education ministries and the Soroti district council to create healthy school environments. It does this through providing safe water and basic sanitation facilities in schools, and teaching children good hygiene practices.
It is hoped that the project will be scaled up nationally by the Ministry of Education, and replicated in all Ugandan schools.
Achievements
- PHASE has distributed education kits to 198 schools in Soroti, training teachers to integrate the issues into lessons such as music, science and drama
- Children have promoted the PHASE message by performing songs and plays in their communities
- Tutors from nursing schools have been trained on the PHASE approach and nursing students now include PHASE education in their school visits
- Media coverage of hygiene issues has grown, and children are designing posters and murals to publicise their own hygiene and sanitation messages
- Teachers report reduced absences because of poor health since PHASE began, and more head teachers have asked to join the project
- Water and sanitation facilities have also been installed in schools, improving access for pupils and local communities. This includes:
- rainwater tanks in 3 schools
- latrines in 6 schools
- hand-washing facilities in 90 schools
- waste bins in 200 classrooms