Jesica Nakiru, Moroto District – Efforts to abolish traditional birth attendants in Karamoja may take longer than expected, as many local communities still trust and rely on their services.
In 2018, many mothers in Karamoja—particularly in Moroto—had embraced delivering at government-established health facilities. However, a persistent lack of water in some of these facilities has discouraged expectant mothers from seeking care there.
One such facility, Kakingol Health Centre III in Katikekile Sub-county, requires patients and expectant mothers to fetch water from a river located a kilometer away before receiving medical attention.
The public had hoped that a UGX 5 billion government water project would address the crisis. However, two years after its launch, there is no visible progress, prompting residents to label it a “ghost project.”
“The contractor has either failed to do the work, or corruption within the contractor’s team has derailed the project,” a resident said.
Mary Napeyok, a Village Health Team officer (VHT) in Kakingol, told this publication that many expectant mothers are now avoiding antenatal services due to the burden of walking long distances to fetch water.
“It’s a challenge. Our mothers have resorted to delivering at home instead of going to the health centre because they have to fetch water before receiving care from any doctor or nurse,” she said.
She added that Kakingol Health Centre is the only facility where patients are forced to use sand to clean the maternity ward after delivery—due to the absence of running water.
Mr. Samuel Koryang, the Environmental Health Inspector for Kakingol, confirmed that the health centre has faced severe water shortages for over a year and a half, after a UNICEF-constructed gravitational water scheme stopped functioning.
