Gabat! Forgotten in the City

DASA donated WASH Items to 38 Households in Hai Gabat of Juba County, Central Equatorial State, Appealed for more support to help the flood affected community.

Water is a basic necessity of life however safe water is lacking in most parts the country yet safe water is so critical for the most vulnerable people especially under five children who are at increased risk of getting water-borne diseases leading to morbidity and mortality. In the context of flooding due to outburst from White Nile and the surrounding swamps, Doctors Actively Serving in Africa (DASA) responded to conduct an assessment at Gabat Boma in Juba Town Payam of Juba County on the 19th October 2022.

We used a standardized core household level questionnaire which was administered to a total of 38 flood affected people (FAP) at Gabat. The results were striking that 1 in 2 (50%) of the flood affected households did not had access to clean drinking, bathing, and washing water. Besides the FAP adjusted to lack of enough water in 49% by increasing the amount of family money spent on other things on water, reducing the budget on other essential commodities needed at home.

Our result showed that 16% of households (HHs) do not have access to latrine and an additional 58% of the HHs (58%) have latrine access restricted to only some members of the HH which increases the chances of open defecation with its associated public health risk. It was only in 24% of the HHs where latrines were accessible to all members of the HH. There is constant presence of stagnant wastewater in the vicinity of 18% of the HHs interviewed making it a suitable breeding place for mosquitoes.

We found out that in 37% HHs, solid wastes were left in the public areas and not collected. Hence increasing the risk of flies breeding and its transmission of diarrhoeal disease germs with the potential of causing disease outbreaks like cholera.

Furthermore, 76% of the HHs did not had soap because they could not afford increasing the chances of faecal-oral transmission of diarrhoeal diseases since handwashing with soap after toilet, cleaning the bottom of a child and before eating and preparing food might be compromised. None of the HHs were offered health promotion in the past one year as such not even one family was able to mention more than one handwashing activity.

To reduce morbidity and mortality particularly in under-five, DASA on the 23rd of November 2022, responded immediately to the plight of the flood affected community in Gabat to help improve household drinking water through the distribution of 20L buckets and strips of water guard (aqua tablets) and 250g of washing soap to 38 households. The intervention directly benefited about 200 family members in the 38 households. DASA is hopeful that this support will also increase access to clean drinking water among the beneficiaries. This was an intervention funded through the generous contribution of the board of directors.

We, therefore, appeal to individuals, institutions, government, international NGOs, and bilateral/multilateral organizations to support DASA to respond to the outstanding gaps in health education promotion ($5,000), solid waste management ($10,000), flash toilet slabs ($10,500), control of vectors ($20,000), menstrual sanitary package ($10,000) in Hai Gabat in Juba. Follow the link to get more information on how to donate https://dasa.org.ss/donate/