The latest estimates reveal that 3 out of every 10 people worldwide could not wash their hands with soap and water at home during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Billions of people around the world will be left without access to basic services over the last five years. It assesses progress towards achieving the six Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aiming to "ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all by 2030." Additionally, the report introduces new country-specific data for the first time related to menstrual health.
The report from the Joint Monitoring Programme "Progress on household drinking water, sanitation and hygiene 2000-2020" presents estimates regarding household access to basic services such as safely managed drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene over the past five years. It also evaluates progress toward achieving six Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), aiming to "ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all by 2030." Additionally, the report presents, for the first time, new country-level data related to menstrual health.
In 2020, about one in four people lacked access to a safely managed source of drinking water in their homes, and nearly half of the global population had no access to basic services that were safely managed. COVID-19 highlighted the urgent need to ensure that everyone has access to proper hand hygiene. When the pandemic began, three out of every ten people worldwide were unable to wash their hands with water and soap at home.
"Handwashing is one of the most effective ways to prevent the transmission of COVID-19 and other infectious diseases; however, millions of people around the world do not have access to a safe drinking water source," stated Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of WHO. "Investments in water, sanitation, and hygiene must be a global priority if we want to end this pandemic and build more resilient health systems."
The report reveals that some progress has been made toward achieving universal access to basic services for water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH). Between 2016 and 2020, the percentage of the global population with access to safely managed drinking water at home increased from 70% to 74%; safely managed sanitation services rose from 47% to 54%; and handwashing facilities with water and soap increased from 67% to 71%.
In 2020, for the first time, more people used improved on-site sanitation services (such as pit latrines and septic tanks, which can effectively contain and treat waste) than sewer connections. Governments must ensure the necessary support to provide basic services of on-site sanitation that are safely managed, including fecal sludge management.
The report clearly explains that, if current trends persist, billions of children and families will be left without life-saving essential WASH services. Specifically, the report points out that by 2030:
Furthermore, the report highlights deep inequalities that particularly affect vulnerable children and families. If we are to achieve universal access to safely managed drinking water sources before 2030, the current rate of progress needs to be multiplied by 10 in the least developed countries. In fragile contexts, where people are twice as likely to lack access to safe drinking water, this rate should be multiplied by 23.
"Even before the pandemic, millions of children and families were already suffering due to the lack of clean water, sanitation, and a place to wash their hands," stated Henrietta Fore, Executive Director of UNICEF. "Despite the incredible progress made to date in expanding these life-saving services, the alarming and growing needs continue to outpace our capacity to respond. It is time to drastically accelerate our efforts to address the most basic needs of children and families and protect their health and well-being, including the fight against infectious diseases like COVID-19."
The report highlights other important findings, including the following:
The latest menstrual health data reveal that in many countries, a significant proportion of women and girls cannot meet their menstrual health needs. Notably, the most significant differences are observed among vulnerable groups, such as poor girls and those with disabilities.
To expand WASH coverage, it will be essential to prioritize this issue at the highest levels of decision-making processes by international organizations, governments, civil society, and the private sector. To achieve this, WASH should be a crucial topic on the agenda of high-level political meetings, ensuring that member states monitor progress. This is particularly important in the context of the upcoming midterm review of the Water Action Decade in 2023, the first United Nations conference on water and sanitation in almost 50 years.
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