Uganda, March 15 -- The Ministry of Health has launched a $5 million (about Shs19.4 billion) three-year project to address open defecation and poor sanitation in seven districts with poor health indicators.

At least eight percent of the population still practice open defecation and more than 60 percent need improved sanitation facilities such as toilets, according to information in the Uganda Demographic and Health Survey report released last week.

While launching the project in Kampala yesterday, Dr Jane Ruth Aceng, the Health minister, said: "The money is coming from the Sanitation and Hygiene Fund under the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) with a counterpart funding of $1.5 million (about Shs5.8billion) from the Uga...