Sustainable and safe water, sanitation, hygiene, waste and electricity services in health care facilities A/RES/80/289 prevention and control measures, including through improved water, sanitation, hygiene and waste services in health care facilities, as well as setting the target of ensuring that 100 per cent of countries have basic water, sanitation, hygiene and waste services in all health care facilities, Taking note of the World Health Assembly resolution 72.7 of 28 May 2019 on water, sanitation and hygiene in health care facilities, 6 which serves as a key global policy framework to facilitate global assessments of the regional and national gaps, encourage Member States to strengthen standards for safe water, sanitation and hygiene and infection prevention and control, in all healthcar e settings, increase investments and support collective action among partners, Noting that according to the latest progress report of the World Health Organization and the United Nations Children’s Fund on water, sanitation, hygiene, waste and electricity services in health care facilities, published in 2025, more than 80 per cent of countries have established baselines or updated standards, but less than 20 per cent have developed, implemented and financed costed road maps, while remaining deeply concerned that the latest data indicate huge gaps in services: globally, 1.1 billion people are served by health care facilities that lack basic water services, 3.0 billion are served by facilities that lack basic sanitation, 1.7 billion are served by facilities that lack basic hygiene and 2.8 billion are served by facilities that lack basic healthcare waste management and, furthermore, nearly 1 billion people access health care facilities without reliable electricity or without electricity access at all, underscoring the grave implications of not having these basic services, especially the 8 million people who die annually from poor-quality care, resulting in 6 trillion United States dollars in losses, Noting also that the current legal frameworks and funding mechanisms are fragmented and rely heavily on bilateral funding and debt, and that there is a need to invest in public health and mobilize international and domestic resources, including to assist developing countries, Welcoming the appointment of the first Special Envoy of the Secretary-General on Water, and taking note of the publication of the United Nations System -wide Strategy for Water and Sanitation in 2024, Recalling that water, sanitation, hygiene and waste standards, indicators and targets are included in the World Health Organization global patient safety action plan 2021–2030 and the global action plan and monitoring framework on infection prevention and control, 2024–2030, 7 Reaffirming the call to promote zero-waste initiatives and support Member States in sustainable waste management, Reaffirming also the importance of promoting the resilience of new and existing critical infrastructure, including water, hospitals and other health facilities, to ensure that they remain safe, effective and operational during and after disasters and other emergency situations, including climate-related, in order to provide life-saving and essential services, Recalling the need to ensure equal access to high-quality services such as water and sanitation and other economic and social programmes, as well as the importance of Indigenous Peoples’ health practices and their traditional medicine and knowledge, and in this regard, stressing the importance of working with Indigenous Peoples to _______________ 6 7 26-09985 See World Health Organization, document WHA72/2019/REC/1. See World Health Organization, document WHA77/2024/REC/1, decision 77(9) and annex 3. 3/6