Archives: Latest News

Articles & blogs
The Moscow Times: 1 in 3 Russian hospitals lack water supply.

Inside Philanthropy: A Foundation Helped Bring a Quiet Global Health Crisis Out of the Shadows

ASCE News: Coronavirus: a wake up call for civil engineers.

Business Insider: The Wuhan coronavirus is now found on doorknobs, another reason that washing your hands is better than wearing a mask.

Think Global Health: Getting WASH into health care facilities: an urgent health need. Will the UN’s prioritization of clean, water and sanitation and hand washing in health care facilities finally breed action?

Save the Children: A series of blog posts authored by the BASICS (Bold Action to Stop Infections in Clinical Settings) team. BASICS is a new initiative that will transform healthcare and reduce healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) by at least 50%.

WaterAid Tanzania: The heroes of Geita: empowering midwives through water, sanitation and hygiene.

WaterAid UK: Global health – new year, new decade, new challenges and opportunities: How can we tackle the World Health Organization’s urgent health challenges of water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) in healthcare facilities, superbugs and equality in healthcare?

WaterAid India: Water, sanitation can systematically prevent antimicrobial resistance in India, The Wire

Journal articles
Gon et al. 2020 Behavioural determinants of hand washing and glove recontamination before aseptic procedures at birth: a time-and-motion study and survey in Zanzibar labour wards. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.

Oza et al. 2020 Application of tools to monitor environmental conditions, identify exposures, and inform decision-making to improve infection prevention and control practices in Malawian maternity wards. Environmental monitoring and assessment.

Patel et al. 2019 Assessment of water, sanitation and hygiene in HCFs: which tool to follow? Reviews on Environmental Health

The health and wellbeing of children now and in the future depends on overcoming new challenges that are escalating at such speed as to threaten the progress and successes of the past two decades in child health. The climate emergency is rapidly undermining the future survival of all species, and the likelihood of a world in which all children enjoy their right to health appears increasingly out of reach. A second existential threat that is more insidious has emerged: predatory commercial exploitation that is encouraging harmful and addictive activities that are extremely deleterious to young people’s health.

The journal is interested in papers that illuminate the scope of the problem, identify potential solutions and effective implementation approaches, and test novel technologies that could help to improve essential environmental conditions (e.g. infrastructure, hygienic items, clean surfaces, behaviors) in HCFs. Studies may address one or multiple essential environmental condition(s). Solutions-oriented studies that address known research gaps, such as accessibility, gender, and patient satisfaction, or integrate these concepts, are encouraged.  The deadline for manuscript submissions is 31 December 2020. For more information, visit https://www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph/special_issues/Solutions_Improving_Critical_Environmental_Conditions_Healthcare_Facilities_Low_Middle_Income_Countries

WHO has announced that water, sanitation and hygiene in health care facilities is one of 13 urgent health challenges to be addressed in this decade. The lack of these basics in health facilities is highlighted including that it leads to poor-quality care and an increased chance of infection for patients and health workers.

https://www.who.int/news-room/photo-story/photo-story-detail/urgent-health-challenges-for-the-next-decade

In recent months, WASH in health care facilities has been receiving more attention with articles published in the media and new blogs and videos. Below you will find links to recent articles and publications.  The monthly WASH in HCF newsletter also includes links to recent articles. If you do not already receive the newsletter, please sign up at the bottom of the page.

BANGLADESH: “Untreated medical waste: a serious threat to public health”, The Daily Star, 28 October https://www.thedailystar.net/frontpage/news/untreated-medical-waste-serious-threat-public-health-1819624.

BANGLADESH: “Hospitals breach disposal rules”, The Daily Star, 23 November, https://www.thedailystar.net/frontpage/news/hospitals-breach-disposal-rules-1830775.

INDONESIA: “IAPMO Roundtable galvanizes Indonesian industry”, Contractor, November, https://www.contractormag.com/plumbing/article/20884335/iapmo-roundtable-galvanizes-indonesian-industry

INDIA: “72,045 PHCs in country don’t have toilet facilities for staff”, The Hindu, 25 November 2019: https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/72045-phcs-in-country-dont-have-toilet-facilities-for-staff/article30079540.ece

KENYA: “What Kenyan women want in maternal healthcare”, Business Daily Africa, 27 November 2019: https://www.businessdailyafrica.com/corporate/health/Kenyan-women-want-in-maternal-healthcare/4258458-5365060-v2jak7/index.html

Save/USAID: “Cost analysis for Clean Clinic Approach Activities in Guatemala and Implications for Scale-Up”, https://www.mcsprogram.org/resource/cost-analysis-for-clean-clinic-approach-activities-in-guatemala-and-implications-for-scale-up/

UN Secretary General Video: “SG urges efforts to realize human rights to safe water & sanitation under European Protocol on Water & Health”, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9El6vP5q-Js

WHO news: “World Toilet Day – in search of healthier health care in Cox’s Bazaar”, 21 November 2019: https://www.who.int/bangladesh/news/detail/21-11-2019-world-toilet-day—in-search-of-a-healthier-health-care-in-cox-s-bazar 

WASH & AMR: WASH services critical to curbing antibiotic “quick fix” https://devpolicy.org/wash-services-critical-to-curbing-antibiotic-quick-fix-20191205/

WHO and UNICEF held a short webinar on 26th November 2019 to provide an update on progress following the 2019 global meeting on WASH in health care facilities. The webinar also featured the Government of Zambia talking about their recent activities. Watch the recording below.

Details of future webinars to be held in early 2020 will be shared on the site soon.