The inequalities of the lack of WASH services impact females in particular, as they typically bear the extra burden of water collection (from a well as seen in this filepic of Indian villagers) and additional challenges during menstruation. — AFP
More than two billion people worldwide still lack access to safely-managed drinking water, the United Nations’ health and children’s agencies said on Aug 26 (2025).
Over 100 million people remain reliant on drinking surface water, e.g. from rivers, ponds and canals, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) and Unicef.
The lagging water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services are leaving billions at greater risk of disease.
The agencies said in a joint study that the world remains far off track in reaching a target of universal coverage of such services by 2030.
Instead, that goal “is increasingly out of reach”, they warned.
“Water, sanitation and hygiene are not privileges: they are basic human rights,” said WHO environment chief Dr Ruediger Krech.
“We must accelerate action, especially for the most marginalised communities.”
The report looked at five levels of drinking water services.
The highest level is defined as drinking water accessible on the premises, available when needed, and free from faecal and priority chemical contamination.
The four levels below are basic (improved water that takes less than 30 minutes to access), limited (improved, but taking longer to access), unimproved (e.g. from an unprotected well or spring) and surface water.
Since 2015, 961 million people have gained access to safely-managed drinking water, with coverage rising from 68% to 74%, the report said.
Meanwhile, the number of people using surface water decreased by 61 million over the past decade.
The number of countries that have eliminated the use of surface water for drinking increased from 142 in 2015 to 154 in 2024, the study said.
Last year (2024), 89 countries had universal access to at least basic drinking water, of which 31 had universal access to safely-managed services.
The 28 countries where more than one in four people still lacked basic services were largely concentrated in Africa.
As for sanitation, 1.2 billion people have gained access to safely-managed sanitation services since 2015, with coverage rising from 48% to 58%, the study found.
These are defined as improved facilities that are not shared with other households, and where excreta are safely disposed of in situ, or removed and treated off-site.
The number of people practising open defecation decreased by 429 million to 354 million (4% of the global population) last year (2024).
Since 2015, 1.6 billion people have gained access to basic hygiene services, i.e. a handwashing facility with soap and water at home, with coverage increasing from 66% to 80%, the study found.
“When children lack access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene, their health, education and futures are put at risk,” warned Unicef WASH director Dr Cecilia Scharp.
“These inequalities are especially stark for girls, who often bear the burden of water collection and face additional barriers during menstruation.
“At the current pace, the promise of safe water and sanitation for every child is slipping further from reach.” – By Robin Millard/AFP
