Basic Hygiene lacking in Heath services

Dana Malcolm

Staff Writer

September 2, 2022 – A shocking joint report from the World Health Organization and UNICEF has revealed that half of the healthcare facilities worldwide are lacking in basic sanitation infrastructure.  The report says the facilities, “lack basic hygiene services with water and soap or alcohol-based hand rub where patients receive care and at toilets”.

The agency says this is a major concern, as it puts everyone using these facilities, both healthcare workers and persons seeking treatment, at risk for infection.

The data was collected from over  40 member countries worldwide, representing 35% of the population or around 3.8 billion people. 

“Though 68% of health care facilities had hygiene facilities at points of care, and 65% had handwashing facilities with water and soap at toilets, only 51% had both, and therefore met the criteria for basic hygiene services.  Furthermore, 1 in 11 (9%) of health care facilities globally have neither.” the report said.

That 9% means 600 million people don’t have access to hygiene services in their clinics and hospitals at all.

The WHO described sufficient hygiene services in healthcare as ‘non-negotiable’ and urged member countries to fix the issue immediately.

The issue becomes particularly concerning as the globe battles two pandemics simultaneously.

UNICEF Director of WASH and Climate, Environment, Energy, and Disaster Risk Reduction (CEED), Kelly Ann Naylor, said healthcare facilities were not really healthcare facilities without hygiene services.

“Hospitals and clinics without safe water and basic hygiene and sanitation services are a potential death trap for pregnant mothers, newborns, and children.  Every year, around 670 000 newborns lose their lives to sepsis.  This is a travesty – even more so as their deaths are preventable.” she said.

In addition to the lack of hand washing and proper sanitization, the WHO says countries also need to tackle proper waste disposal for everyone’s safety.