Archive · 18 Aug 2026
WHO-UNICEF Report Finds Widespread Global Healthcare Sanitation Gaps
A new report says many health-care facilities around the world still do not have fully safe toilets and cleaning systems.
In 2025, only four out of every 10 facilities met the basic sanitation standard.
This does not mean that all the others had no toilets.
Many had toilets, but they were not accessible, private, safe or suitable for everyone.
Only about six out of 10 facilities met basic cleaning standards.
Clean water, handwashing, safe waste disposal and clean rooms help prevent infections.
WHO and UNICEF say countries should improve these services and check them regularly.
They also want health-care facilities to receive enough funding and support.
Only 40% of health-care facilities worldwide met basic sanitation standards in 2025.
An estimated 85% had basic water services, 72% basic hygiene services and 71% basic waste management.
Only 59% met basic environmental cleaning standards, which require protocols and trained cleaning staff.
Although 89% had some sanitation and 85% had usable toilets, many lacked accessible, separate or menstrual hygiene facilities.
WHO and UNICEF called for stronger monitoring, national standards and financed plans for sustainable health-care WASH services.
- Who
- The World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and health-care facilities worldwide.
- What
- A WHO-UNICEF report found major gaps in sanitation, water, hygiene, environmental cleaning and waste management at health-care facilities.
- When
- The estimates cover 2025; the report was released on Tuesday, and a related United Nations resolution was adopted in May 2026.
- Where
- Health-care facilities worldwide, including patient areas, operating theatres, treatment areas and toilets.
- Why
- The report says inadequate or unsafe services can undermine quality care, increase infection risks and fail to meet the needs of patients and health workers.
- Basic sanitation coverage
- 40% of health-care facilities met the basic sanitation standard in 2025.
- Basic water services
- 85% of facilities had basic water services.
- Basic hygiene services
- 72% of facilities had basic hygiene services.
- Health-care waste management
- 71% of facilities met the basic waste management standard.
- Environmental cleaning
- 59% of facilities met the basic environmental cleaning standard.
- Usable toilets
- 85% of facilities had usable toilets, while 89% had some form of sanitation.
- Environmental cleaning gap
- About 18% of facilities, serving roughly 1.5 billion people, met neither the cleaning-protocol nor trained-staff requirement.