UN report finds only four in ten health facilities meet basic toilet standards
A United Nations study released on Aug 18 shows that just 40 % of global health centers have adequate sanitation, while 11 % lack any facilities.
On Aug 18, the United Nations disclosed that merely 40 % of health establishments worldwide meet essential sanitation criteria, including dedicated staff toilets, gender-separated units with menstrual supplies, and accessible options for those with limited mobility. Data from 70 countries indicate that 11 % of facilities lack any sanitation service, leaving about 936 million people without basic toilets. The study highlights stark regional differences, reporting 23 % compliance in sub-Saharan Africa versus 55 % in central and southern Asia.
Additional findings show 85 % of sites have basic water services, 72 % basic hygiene, and 71 % proper waste management, but only 59 % meet environmental cleaning standards, and 18 % fall short of both cleaning criteria, impacting roughly 1.5 billion people. The lowest compliance is seen in the world’s least-developed nations, where just 24 % meet cleaning standards. The report, produced by the World Health Organisation and UNICEF, underscores widespread gaps in infection-prevention infrastructure.
Why it matters
Poor sanitation in health facilities hampers infection control and patient safety worldwide.
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