Honourable Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda, the Minister of Health in Malawi, hosted a high-level ministerial luncheon on WASH in health care facilities in Geneva on May 30, 2024. The event was attended by representatives from Liberia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, the Republic of Tanzania, The Gambia, and Japan along with partners from SIDA. Discussions at the meeting centered around reviewing outcomes and priority actions related to IPC, WASH, waste management, and electricity provision in health care facilities. Additionally, participants discussed identifying critical linkages to enhance climate resilience and improve services in health care facilities. Find the presentation here!
Year Issued: 2024
Does WASH FIT improve water, sanitation, and hygiene and related health impacts in healthcare facilities? A systematic review
This systematic review evaluates whether WASH FIT improves environmental health services or associated health outcomes and impacts. The conducted methodology is a database searches to identify relevant studies and extracted data on study design, healthcare facility characteristics, and inputs, activities, outputs, outcomes, and impacts associated with WASH FIT. The study included 31 studies in the review. Find the study here!
Strategic roundtable on WASH, waste and electricity in health care facilities (Presentations)
The Global Strategic Roundtable on WASH, waste, and electricity in health care facilities brought together key stakeholders to discuss the UN General Assembly Resolution and the WHO/UNICEF 2024-2030 Global Framework for Action. The event focused on integrated implementation, investment, and leadership. Attended by 45 in-person and 25 online participants, the roundtable included representatives from Hungary, Nepal, the Philippines, Tanzania, multi-lateral and global health agencies, donors, NGOs, and civil society. The presentations from the Strategic meeting can be found here!
Budgeting and advocacy to improve water, sanitation, and hygiene in healthcare facilities: a case study in Nepal
Barriers to achieving and sustaining access to water, sanitation, hygiene, waste management (collectively, “WASH”) in healthcare facilities include a supportive policy environment and adequate funding. While guidelines exist for assessing needs and making initial infrastructure improvements, there is little guidance on how to develop budgets and policies to sustain WASH services in the long-term. This research was conducted on costing and advocacy activities in Thakurbaba municipality, Nepal, with the aim of developing a budget and operations and maintenance policy for WASH in healthcare facilities in partnership with the municipal government. The objectives for this study are to (1) describe the process and methods used for costing and advocacy, (2) report the costs to achieve and maintain basic WASH services in the eight healthcare facilities of Thakurbaba municipality, and (3) report the outcomes of advocacy activities and policy development. Find more about the case study here!
A review of health-care waste management policies in the Western Pacific Region
A review was carried out on health-care waste management policies in the Western Pacific Region, encompassing 16 countries and areas with diverse systems and resources. This report presents key findings on policy comprehensiveness in relation to WHO guidance. The review process included examining essential components of the legal framework for health-care waste management in each country. It also sought to identify best practices in disaster and emergency preparedness and to determine whether advanced, environmentally friendly technologies, including low-carbon alternatives, had been adopted as recommended in national policies. Based on the findings, recommendations were made with the aim of enhancing health-care waste management policies, with a specific focus on addressing technical gaps. Find the review here!
WASH Reflections from Dnipro, Ukraine
Dr. Maragaret Montgomery, the lead of WASH in Healthcare facilities and settings in WASH Unit-WHO shares her reflection from her recent visit to Dnipro, in Eastern Ukraine. She co-facilitated a training co-hosted by WHO & UNICEF on improving water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), waste and infection prevention and control (IPC) in health care facilities (HCFs). Watch the video here and read the reflections below!