New Delhi (NVI): The health care facilities worldwide which lack access to water, putting around 1.8 billion people at higher risk of contracting COVID-19, the World Health Organization (WHO) said.

The WHO in a joint report with the UN Children’s Agency (UNICEF) said, the lack of basic water service puts patients and health care workers at higher risk of infection at such centers.

“Working in a health care facility without water, sanitation and hygiene is akin to sending nurses and doctors to work without personal protective equipment,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

“Water supply, sanitation and hygiene in health care facilities are fundamental to stopping COVID-19. But there are still major gaps to overcome, particularly in least developed countries,” Tedros added.

The report titled — ‘Fundamentals first: Universal water, sanitation, and hygiene services in health care facilities for safe, quality care,’ comes as COVID-19 is exposing key vulnerabilities within health systems, including inadequate infection prevention and control.

According to WHO figures, worldwide, one in four health care facilities has no water services, one in three facilities could not guarantee hand hygiene, while one in 10 did not have access to sanitation services and one in three does not segregate waste safely.

It added that health professionals make up less than three percent of the population, but they account for 14 percent of COVID-19 cases recorded around the world.

“Sending healthcare workers and people in need of treatment to facilities without clean water, safe toilets, or even soap puts their lives at risk,” said UNICEF executive director Henrietta Fore.

“This was certainly true before the COVID-19 pandemic, but this year has made these disparities impossible to ignore. As we reimagine and shape a post-COVID world, making sure we are sending children and mothers to places of care equipped with adequate water, sanitation and hygiene services is not merely something we can and should do. It is an absolute must,” she added.

The situation is worst of all in the world’s 47 least developed countries (LDCs), where half of healthcare centers have no access to drinking water, a quarter have no access to water for hygiene purposes, and three in five lack basic sanitation services.

The WHO and UNICEF report’s preliminary estimates indicate that it would cost roughly USD 1 per capita to enable all 47 LDCs to establish basic water service in health facilities. On average, USD 0.20 per capita is needed each year to operate and maintain services.

Furthermore, immediate, incremental investments in WASH have big returns: improving hygiene in health care facilities is a “best buy” for tackling antimicrobial resistance. It reduces health care costs because it reduces health-care-associated infections (which are costly to treat), the WHO said.

It also saves time as health workers do not have to search for water for hand hygiene. Better hygiene also increases uptake of services. This all adds up to a return of USD 1.5 for every dollar invested. These services are especially critical for vulnerable populations, including pregnant mothers, newborns and children.

“Improving WASH services in health care facilities is particularly important around childbirth when far too many mothers and newborns suffer and die, including from preventable conditions like sepsis,” the UN agencies added.

-RJV