Water, sanitation, hygiene (WASH), waste management, and reliable electricity are essential for safe, quality healthcare.
Up to 70% of infections in health care can be prevented through proper WASH and infection prevention and control. Yet 1 in 5 healthcare facilities globally do not have clean drinking water, or enough water for basic hygiene.
This compromises infection prevention and control (IPC), puts patients and healthcare workers at risk, and weakens preparedness for future pandemics. It also contributes to the spread of antimicrobial resistance and undermines patient dignity and health outcomes.
Investing in climate-resilient WASH in health care facilities protects lives, health systems, and public resources.
The profound lack of WASH, waste and electricity services in healthcare settings has devastating impacts on health. An estimated 8 million people die annually across 137 low-and middle-income countries due to poor-quality care, resulting in US$ 6 trillion in economic losses.
Approximately 46% of global newborn deaths occur in sub-Saharan Africa, where only half of hospitals have a water source or access to reliable electricity. Without a steady and continuous supply of electricity, health care services like childbirth, emergency care and vaccinations cannot be provided adequately, or indeed at all.
The gaps in services have a particularly negative impact on women, children and other vulnerable people. WASH, waste and electricity are fundamental for all health efforts, and their integration would have an immediate, measurable benefit to health (WHO/UNICEF).
Brochure_WASH and Climate_HCFs_ 2025 by Wash Geneva
The IFRC Professional Health Services Mapping Project was conducted between May 2022 and May 2024. It’s key ambition was to shine a light on the crucial work that National Societies do in health – specifically clinical health services, provided by health and medical professionals.
The mapping includes healthcare facilities owned and operated by National Societies and details of their size, capacity, types of service provided, number of health care workers and staff, and more. IFRC plan to add on to this comprehensive mapping with an assessment of each facilities’ WASH, waste and electricity services; consolidating and strengthening our commitment to the Framework for Action and Consensus Agreement on improving WASH in HCFs.
The IFRC has endorsed the Global Consensus on WASH, Waste, and Electricity in Health Care Facilities, led by WHO and UNICEF, and stands ready to partner with governments, organizations and public institutions to turn commitment into action.
IFRC is committed to contributing to the Global Framework for Action 2024–2030 for water, sanitation, hygiene, waste and electricity services in all health care facilities. We work as part of global and national efforts to deliver safe and sustainable water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), health care waste management and reliable electricity in all health care facilities.
The Framework reflects data, evidence and recommendations articulated in recent WHO/UNICEF global reports on WASH, waste and electricity in health care facilities. It also provides an operational roadmap for implementing the 2023 United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) resolution on WASH, waste and electricity in health care facilities.
WASH FIT (the Water and Sanitation for Health Facility Improvement Tool) is a risk-based management tool for health care facilities, covering key aspects of water, sanitation, hand hygiene, environmental cleaning, health care waste management and selected aspects of energy, building and facility management.
Increasingly, National Societies are using the WASH FIT tool in their programmes.
Wash FITSign up to receive updates from the IFRC WASH unit here, or contact us for more information
