Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene in Health Care Facilities: Practical steps to achieve universal access to quality care

In 2018 the Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN) issued a Global Call to Action to elevate the importance of and prioritize action on WASH in all health care facilities, including primary, secondary and tertiary facilities in both the public and private sectors. This document presents eight practical steps that governments can take at the national and sub-national level to improve WASH in health care facilities. It also summarizes the global response to the UN Secretary-General’s Call to Action. This document is a companion to the 2019 WASH in Health Care Facilities Global Baseline Report by WHO and UNICEF.

The main audiences for this document are national health policy makers, district health managers, quality experts and implementers, and health facility administrators and staff. Additional audiences include global WASH and health partners, national water and sanitation policy-makers, WASH practitioners, researchers, and civil society.

Included in this document are several case studies used to illustrate the practical steps recommended, including a case study that describes how the state of Madhya Pradesh in India focused its response on improving WASH in health care facilities and nutrition rehabilitation centres in nine districts with poor health indicators. The goal was to create an infection-free environment in 196 facilities handling more than 100 deliveries per year, reaching a total of 120,000 newborns. 

Check out the updated webpage WASHinHCF.org for more resources, materials and information.