Only 40% of world's health facilities meet basic sanitation standards: UN
Only four in 10 health care facilities worldwide meet basic sanitation standards for accessible and usable toilets, the United Nations said Tuesday, while 11% have no sanitation services at all.
The United Nations revealed on Tuesday that only 40% of healthcare facilities worldwide currently meet basic sanitation standards, with 11% lacking any sanitation services at all. The World Health Organization and UNICEF's report, which for the first time provided global estimates of sanitation services in healthcare settings, found significant gaps in access to these essential facilities.
Data from 70 countries showed that sanitation levels varied widely among regions. In sub-Saharan Africa, just 23% of facilities provided basic services, compared to 55% in central and southern Asia. The report noted that 1 in 10 health facilities globally had no sanitation service, affecting 936 million people.
Beyond sanitation, the report also assessed access to water, hygiene, environmental cleaning, and waste management in healthcare facilities. It found that 85% of facilities had basic water services, 72% had basic hygiene services, and 71% had basic waste management services. However, only 59% of facilities met basic environmental cleaning standards, which are crucial for infection prevention and control.
The situation is particularly concerning in poorer countries, where the environmental cleaning standard was met by only 24% of facilities in the least-developed nations, serving around 1.5 billion people. This category relied on data from 54 countries. The report highlights the urgent need to improve sanitation services in healthcare facilities globally, especially in regions where access remains limited.
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