Progress on water, sanitation, hygiene, environmental cleaning and waste management in health care facilities 2015-2025
WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH)
The WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) produces internationally comparable estimates of progress on drinking water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) and is responsible for global monitoring of the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) targets related to WASH. This report presents national, regional and global estimates for WASH in health care facilities up to the year 2025.
It should be noted that JMP estimates are based on the latest available data for each country, area and territory and therefore do not always reflect subsequent rapid changes in WASH service levels. This is particularly the case in fragile contexts where political instability, economic shocks, environmental hazards and conflict can contribute to rapid deteriorations in WASH service levels. In settings where the latest available data were collected before the onset of a recent major crisis or conflict, JMP estimates are less likely to reflect the current situation on the ground.
Key findings
In 2025,
- A total of 84 countries and three SDG regions had estimates for basic water services in health care facilities.
- Globally, 85% of health care facilities had basic water services, up from 76% in 2015.
- There was no water service at 11% of health care facilities (covering 907 million people)
- Globally, 40% of health care facilities had basic sanitation services.
- There was no sanitation service at 11% of health care facilities (covering 936 million people)
- Globally, 72% of health care facilities had basic hygiene services, up from 55% in 2015.
- There was no hygiene service at 8% of health care facilities (covering 652 million people)
- Globally, 59% of health care facilities had basic environmental cleaning services.
- There was no environmental cleaning service at 18% of health care facilities (covering 1.5 billion people)
- Globally, 71% of health care facilities had basic health care waste management services, up from 59% in 2015.
- There was no waste management service at 7% of health care facilities (covering 571 million people)
In 2025, estimates for basic water services were available for three SDG regions and coverage ranged from 57% in sub-Saharan Africa to 89% in Central and Southern Asia. Oceania, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Eastern and South-Eastern Asia only had estimates for 2015. Insufficient data were available to produce regional estimates for Australia and New Zealand and for Europe and Northern America. In least developed countries (LDCs), fragile contexts and landlocked developing countries (LLDCs) and fragile contexts, roughly two thirds of health care facilities had basic water services. All regions with comparable data for both 2015 and 2025 showed improvements: globally, basic water services rose from 76% to 85%, while Northern Africa and Western Asia saw an increase of 13 percentage points, from 67% to 80%. Similar gains were observed in LDCs, LLDCs, and fragile contexts.
Most regions, and the world, lacked estimates for basic water services in 2025
Global and regional coverage of water services in health care facilities in 2025 (per cent)
In 2025, 50 out of 84 countries with estimates had >75% coverage of basic water services
Proportion of health care facilities with basic water services in 2025 (per cent)
Note: Statistics in this report refer to countries, areas and territories.
Source: WHO/UNICEF JMP Global data update on WASH in health care facilities in 2026: Progress on water, sanitation, hygiene, environmental cleaning and waste management in health care facilities 2015–2025
Globally, 11 per cent of health care facilities (covering 936 million people) had no sanitation service (the facility had no toilets or only unimproved sanitation facilities) in 2025. Regional coverage of basic sanitation services ranged from 23 per cent in sub-Saharan Africa to 55% in Central and Southern Asia. A total of 70 countries and three SDG regions, representing 48% of the global population, had estimates for basic sanitation services in health care facilities.
Many regions, and the world, lacked estimates for basic sanitation services in 2025
Global and regional distribution of sanitation services in health care facilities, 2025 (per cent)
In 2025, 13 out of 70 countries with estimates had >75% coverage of basic sanitation services
Proportion of health care facilities with basic sanitation services in 2025 (per cent)
Note: Statistics in this report refer to countries, areas and territories.
Source: WHO/UNICEF JMP Global data update on WASH in health care facilities in 2026: Progress on water, sanitation, hygiene, environmental cleaning and waste management in health care facilities 2015–2025
Globally, 8 per cent of health care facilities (covering 652 million people) had no hygiene service (no functional hand hygiene facilities at points of care or at toilets) in 2025. Globally, 72% of health care facilities had basic hygiene services, up from 55% in 2015. Coverage ranged from 34% in sub-Saharan Africa to 82% in Central and Southern Asia.
Three SDG regions had estimates for basic hygiene services in 2025
Global and regional coverage of hygiene services in health care facilities in 2025 (per cent)
In 2025, 32 out of 67 countries with estimates had >75% coverage of basic hygiene services in health care facilities
Proportion of health care facilities with basic hygiene services in 2025 (per cent)
Note: Statistics in this report refer to countries, areas and territories.
Source: WHO/UNICEF JMP Global data update on WASH in health care facilities in 2026: Progress on water, sanitation, hygiene, environmental cleaning and waste management in health care facilities 2015–2025
In 2025, 79 countries, representing 52% of the global population, had sufficient data to estimate basic waste management services. Globally, 71% of facilities had basic waste management services, 21% had limited services and 7% had no service.
Four SDG regions had sufficient data for regional estimates. Coverage ranged from 24% in sub-Saharan Africa to 71% in Oceania, with Northern Africa and Western Asia at 59%, and Central and Southern Asia at 69%. Coverage was particularly low in specific country groupings, including LDCs (27%), LLDCs (38%) and fragile contexts (25%).
Global coverage of basic waste management services increased from 59% in 2015 to 71% in 2025; however, this reflects a changing set of countries over time.
Global and regional distribution of health care waste management services in health care facilities, 2025 (per cent)
In 2025, 30 out of 79 countries with estimates had >75% coverage of basic waste management services in health care facilities
Proportion of health care facilities with basic waste management services in 2025 (per cent)
Note: Statistics in this report refer to countries, areas and territories.
Source: WHO/UNICEF JMP Global data update on WASH in health care facilities in 2026: Progress on water, sanitation, hygiene, environmental cleaning and waste management in health care facilities 2015–2025
In 2025, global estimates for basic environmental cleaning services became available for the first time. Overall, 59% of health care facilities had basic services, 23% had limited services, and 18% had no service. However, only two SDG regions had sufficient data to produce regional estimates: Northern Africa and Western Asia (65%) and sub-Saharan Africa (46%) .
Only two SDG regions had estimates for basic environmental cleaning services in 2025
Global and regional coverage of environmental cleaning services in health care facilities in 2025 (per cent)
In 2025, 17 out of 54 countries with estimates had >75% coverage of basic environmental cleaning services in health care facilities
Proportion of health care facilities with basic environmental cleaning services in 2025 (per cent)
Note: Statistics in this report refer to countries, areas and territories.
Source: WHO/UNICEF JMP Global data update on WASH in health care facilities in 2026: Progress on water, sanitation, hygiene, environmental cleaning and waste management in health care facilities 2015–2025
Notes on the data
WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene
Since 1990, WHO and UNICEF have tracked progress on global water and sanitation goals through the Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (JMP). Further information about the JMP and its methodology can be found at the JMP website.
JMP estimates are based on the latest available data for each country, area and territory and therefore do not always reflect subsequent rapid changes in WASH service levels. This is particularly the case in fragile contexts where political instability, economic shocks, environmental hazards and conflict can contribute to rapid deteriorations in WASH service levels. In settings where the latest available data were collected before the onset of a recent major crisis or conflict, JMP estimates are less likely to reflect the current situation on the ground.
JMP service ladders for WASH in health care facilities
a) Improved water sources are those that by nature of their design and construction have the potential to deliver safe water. These include piped water, boreholes or tubewells, protected dug wells, protected springs, rainwater and packaged or delivered water.
b) Improved sanitation facilities are those designed to hygienically separate human excreta from human contact. These include wet sanitation technologies such as flush and pour-flush toilets connecting to sewers, septic tanks or pit latrines, and dry sanitation technologies such as dry pit latrines with slabs, and composting toilets.
