Skip to main content
Wash health care facilities logo.
Wash health care facilities logo.

Many people around the world are served by health care facilities that lack the essentials for safe quality care including water, sanitation, hygiene materials and appropriate waste segregation.

Eight practical steps have been identified that countries can take at the national and sub-national level to improve WASH in health care facilities. These include national assessments and analyses, development of roadmaps, and targets and standards for WASH in health care facilities.

8 Steps

Latest News icon graphic.

Latest news & events

Framing an agenda for children in the SDG era

Lancet, WHO, UNICEF commission launched today

Read More

Call for papers in special issue of IJERPH

Submit your abstract

Read More

WHO announces urgent health challenges for the next decade

Including water, sanitation and hygiene in health care facilities!

Read More
View More

The widespread lack of WASH services in health care facilities not only compromises patient safety, dignity, and human rights but also holds back efforts to improve maternal and child health and significantly increases the risk of antimicrobial-resistant infections.

- Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization

WASH has been recognized as a prerequisite for quality care, particularly important for the safe management of childbirth.

- Henrietta Fore, Executive Director of United Nations Children’s Fund

Twitter icon graphic.

@WASH_FOR_HEALTH

Retweet on TwitterWASH FOR HEALTH Retweeted
SRWatSan avatarLéo Heller, UN Special Rapporteur@SRWatSan·
21 Feb

@Sanitation2015 @SanitationWorld @saniblog @SanUpdates @sanwatforall @WaregWater @WorldToilet @FranciscansIntl @hrw @opendefecation @UNICEFwater @SimaviNL @WASHadvocates @EndWaterPoverty @WaterIntegrityN @EWNWCC @WorldBankWater @WaterLex @ESRANUKI Quality and safety of WASH services are a key element of what regulatory bodies should monitor and regulate #mywatsanmyrights

Report on regulation: https://t.co/SnMAumL4X9
Friendly ver: https://t.co/smsUzAl7tX
See #HRWASH2020 campaign: https://t.co/4gMf7UFWKT

Twitter feed video.Image for the Tweet beginning: @Sanitation2015 @SanitationWorld @saniblog @SanUpdates @sanwatforall
Reply on TwitterRetweet on Twitter2Like on Twitter1Twitter
Retweet on TwitterWASH FOR HEALTH Retweeted
SRWatSan avatarLéo Heller, UN Special Rapporteur@SRWatSan·
21 Feb

Q. So, what are the human rights standards that regulation must be based on?

A. the normative contents of the human rights to water and sanitation

Follow this thread to learn more about the answer.

#mywatsanmyrights #HRWASH2020

Twitter feed video.Image for the Tweet beginning: Q. So, what are the
Reply on TwitterRetweet on Twitter3Like on Twitter5Twitter
Retweet on TwitterWASH FOR HEALTH Retweeted
DrTedros avatarTedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus@DrTedros·
20 Feb

1 in 4 health facilities lack basic water services. @WHO is working with countries and partners to ensure over 1 billion people are living healthier lives, including having access to clean water and safe sanitation, by 2023.

Twitter feed video.Image for the Tweet beginning: 1 in 4 health facilities
Reply on TwitterRetweet on Twitter37Like on Twitter116Twitter
Retweet on TwitterWASH FOR HEALTH Retweeted
DrTedros avatarTedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus@DrTedros·
20 Feb

.@WHO aims to save half a million newborn lives in next two years through quality health care for 50 million more mothers and newborns, as part of our commitment for 1 billion more people to benefit from universal health coverage by 2023. #HealthForAll

Twitter feed video.Image for the Tweet beginning: .@WHO aims to save half
Reply on TwitterRetweet on Twitter30Like on Twitter129Twitter
View On Twitter
Instagram icon graphic.

@WASH_FOR_HEALTH