A new report from WHO and UNICEF, titled “Essential Services for Quality Care: Water, Sanitation, Hygiene, Health Care Waste and Electricity Services in Health Care Facilities”, warns that billions of people globally rely on hospitals and clinics that lack basic services essential for safe and effective care. Launched at a high-level UN meeting on 24 September 2025, the report highlights that while more than 100 countries have made unprecedented efforts to improve these services, progress remains insufficient to meet 2030 global targets.
The report reveals that only half of health care facilities in the poorest countries have basic water, sanitation, hygiene, waste management, and reliable electricity services. In 2023, an estimated 1.1 billion people were served by facilities without basic water, 3 billion lacked basic sanitation, 1.7 billion lacked hygiene services, and 2.8 billion were served by facilities without proper waste management. Nearly 1 billion people relied on facilities with either no electricity or unreliable power in 2022.
Encouragingly, by 2025, 101 countries provided validated data on WASH, waste, and electricity services, more than double the 47 countries that did so in 2020. This reflects growing progress in establishing standards, conducting baseline assessments, and developing national roadmaps. Nevertheless, the report stresses that accelerated investment and action are urgently needed to ensure quality care for all and to achieve the 2030 targets.
Related Posts
