Only 40 per cent of healthcare facilities worldwide meet basic sanitation standards, according to a United Nations report highlighting major gaps in access to essential water, sanitation and hygiene services in medical centres.
The report, based on data from 70 countries, found wide regional disparities in sanitation provision. In sub-Saharan Africa, only 23 per cent of healthcare facilities were reported to have basic sanitation services, compared with 55 per cent in Central and Southern Asia.
Basic sanitation in healthcare facilities includes usable improved toilets, facilities for staff, sex-separated toilets with menstrual hygiene provisions and at least one toilet accessible to people with limited mobility.
The UN findings underline concerns over infection prevention, patient safety and the quality of healthcare, as inadequate sanitation can increase the risk of disease transmission and undermine dignity for both patients and healthcare workers.
The WHO and UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme, which tracks water, sanitation and hygiene services globally, said there remains insufficient data to produce comprehensive global estimates for several basic WASH services in healthcare facilities. Its latest available assessment covers data through 2023.
The situation is particularly severe in fragile settings. The report found that fewer than one in five healthcare facilities in fragile contexts had basic sanitation services in 2023, while significant gaps also persisted in water, hygiene, waste management and environmental cleaning.
The findings reinforce calls for greater investment in healthcare infrastructure and essential WASH services, particularly in regions where facilities continue to operate without adequate sanitation and hygiene systems.
