Published on: 2026-08-18
Source: United Nations
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August 18, 2026 Healthcare
The results of a new joint study by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) show that, despite significant progress made over the past decade, many healthcare facilities worldwide still lack basic water supply, sanitation, and hygiene services.
According to the report, in 2025, 85 percent of medical facilities worldwide had access to basic water supply, 72 percent had access to hygiene services, and 71 percent had systems for safe handling of medical waste. However, the situation remains significantly worse in sanitation and cleaning: only 40 percent of facilities met basic sanitation standards, and 59 percent complied with requirements for proper cleaning and disinfection.
WHO experts warn that such deficiencies directly threaten the safety of patients and healthcare workers, increasing the risk of infection spread and antibiotic resistance.
The accessibility of sanitary facilities is a particular problem. Although toilets are available in most medical institutions, only about half of them are equipped with separate rooms for men and women, accessible to people with disabilities, or provide conditions for menstrual hygiene.
Serious difficulties persist in the area of premises sanitation as well. According to the report, about 1.5 billion people use medical facilities that lack necessary cleaning protocols or specially trained staff. In the least developed countries, only 24 percent of healthcare facilities meet basic cleaning requirements.
For the period from 2015 to 2025, the authors of the report note that significant progress has been made, especially in the field of hygiene. Nevertheless, 10 percent of medical facilities worldwide still lack access to water or basic sanitation services.
The WHO and UNICEF report calls on governments to strengthen control over the quality of sanitation conditions in medical institutions and to pay attention not only to the availability of infrastructure but also to its safety, accessibility, and reliability. In May 2026, the UN General Assembly already adopted a special resolution providing for the strengthening of national standards and the financing of sustainable water supply, sanitation, and hygiene systems in healthcare facilities.
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