WHO-UNICEF report: Billions still lack safe water, sanitation
A joint study by the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF, “Progress on Household Drinking Water and Sanitation 2000–2024: Special Focus on Inequalities”, found that scores of people across the globe remain without reliable access to clean water, sanitation, and hygiene, thus, leaving them vulnerable to disease and social exclusion. Moreover, the report indicated persistence of significant disparities, particularly among low-income nations, fragile states, rural areas, children, and minority or indigenous communities.
The report noted that one in four people, about 2.1 billion globally, still lack safely managed drinking water, with more than 100 million relying on untreated surface water. Around 3.4 billion do not have access to safe sanitation, including 354 million who still practice open defecation. Meanwhile, 1.7 billion people live without basic hygiene services, and more than 600 million have no facilities at all.
Researchers observed that people in the least developed countries are more than twice as likely as those elsewhere to be without basic water and sanitation, and three times as likely to lack hygiene services. Fragile states face particular challenges, with drinking water coverage nearly 40 percentage points lower than in stable contexts.
Although rural communities have seen some gains, with drinking water coverage increasing from 50 to 60% and hygiene access rising from 52 to 71% since 2015, urban progress has largely stalled. Gender inequality also remains evident: women and girls in many countries bear the responsibility for water collection, often spending over half an hour each day fetching it, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.
The study further reported that adolescent girls are less likely than adult women to continue with school, work, or social activities during menstruation. While many women and girls have access to private spaces and basic menstrual materials, large numbers still lack adequate supplies to change as often as needed.
With just five years left before the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals deadline, the report warned that progress on ending open defecation and achieving universal access to water, sanitation, and hygiene must accelerate. Universal coverage of safely managed services, it added, is increasingly unlikely to be met.
WHO’s Director a.i, Environment, Climate Change and Health, Dr. Ruediger Krech said water, sanitation, and hygiene should be regarded as basic rights rather than privileges, stressing that action must be stepped up for marginalized communities. Likewise, UNICEF’s Director of WASH, Cecilia Scharp, cautioned that children’s health, education, and futures are at risk when safe services are absent, and pointed out that girls often face the greatest burden, from water collection to menstrual barriers. She added that at the current pace, the promise of universal access is slipping further from reach, requiring faster and bolder measures.
Category: Education
