Access to safely managed drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene services is crucial to health. (often called WASH)

It affects risks of disease, parasitic infection, child mortality, etc. Yet globally, large parts of the population lack these basic services.

The lack of safe WASH services is not just a technical issue but a matter of equity: who is left behind?

It's a foundational factor for many other health outcomes.

Sub‑Saharan Africa and parts of Asia have very low safely managed water/sanitation. (WHO, 2022)

Only 30% of the population has access to safely managed drinking water services.

More than 70% of people lack access to safely managed sanitation.

Even healthcare facilities in many countries lack basic WASH facilities, which means hospitals/clinics are sources of risk.

Poverty / low income: poorer communities often have fewer resources.

Geography: rural areas are often disregarded compared to urban areas.

Political/governance issues: weak institutions, lack of investment, corruption, and weak planning.

Environmental factors: water drought, contamination (pollution), and climate change making sources more unreliable.

As of 2024, 2.1 to 2.2 billion people globally still lack access to safely managed drinking water. 3.4 billion people do not have safe managed sanitation, and 1.7 billion people still lack basic hygiene services at home (handwashing, etc.) (UNICEF, 2025)

Without safe water, sanitation, and hygiene there is a high risk of diarrheal diseases, cholera, typhoid, etc., especially among children under 5.