Only 40% of world’s health facilities meet basic sanitation standards: UN
A UN report reveals that only 40% of global healthcare facilities meet basic sanitation standards, with 11% lacking any sanitation services at all. The findings highlight significant disparities in hygiene and waste management infrastructure across different regions.
Why it matters
Poor sanitation in healthcare settings poses a major risk to infection control and public health, particularly in developing nations.
Only four in 10 healthcare facilities worldwide meet basic sanitation standards for accessible and usable toilets, the United Nations said on Tuesday (August 18, 2026), while 11% have no sanitation services at all.
In a report, the UN’s health and children’s agencies said only 40% of healthcare facilities last year had toilets that adequately met the needs of patients and staff, including people with limited mobility.
The report from the World Health Organization and UNICEF for the first time provided global estimates of basic sanitation services in healthcare settings.
Its 2025 estimate found significant gaps in access to basic sanitation standards, which it said required usable facilities including at least one toilet dedicated to staff, at least one sex-separated toilet with menstrual hygiene facilities and at least one toilet accessible for people with limited mobility.
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