Nicknamed the “Pearl of Africa”, Uganda is a small yet highly fertile east African country that holds much promise. Following several decades of brutal internal conflict, since the late 1980s, most Ugandans have enjoyed peace and stability. Widespread poverty, however, remains a major challenge. The majority of Uganda’s population earns less than US $2 per day, making life a daily struggle.
The general lack or inadequacy of basic health and social services such as water and sanitation—particularly in rural areas where most people live—has unfortunately contributed to death rates among Ugandan children that are more than 17 times greater than in Canada. In 1991, WaterCan started working with local NGOs to help bring clean water and sanitation to poor communities.
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| Countries: | Uganda | Canada |
| Population (million): | 29 | 32 |
| Child Mortality (under 5 years) per 1,000 live births: |
136 | 6 |
| Average life expectancy (years): | 50 | 80 |
| Water supply coverage: | 60% | 100% |
| Sanitation coverage: | 43% | 100% |
| Physicians (per 100,000 people): | 8 | 214 |
| GDP per capita (US$): | 303 | 34,484 |
| UN Human Development Index Rank (out of 177 countries): |
154th | 4th |
By George Yap, Program Director
Wakiso District is a hilly, rural area located on the outskirts of Kampala, Uganda’s vibrant capital. About three-quarters of Buloba Parish’s 8,700 villagers relied on water obtained from unsafe sources like streams and ponds. As a result, water-related diseases lay a heavy burden on local communities. Villagers, children especially, suffered from a variety of skin, eye, and intestinal health problems that can be linked back to a lack of access to clean water.
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