By Abdullahi Lukman
Over 40 countries across the globe have adopted a new UN-led programme aimed at strengthening water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) systems in healthcare facilities.
This development follows a meeting in Budapest co-organized by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE).
The initiative, agreed during the 7th session of the Meeting of the Parties to the Protocol on Water and Health, seeks to build more resilient and equitable WASH systems across Europe.
The Protocol remains the world’s only legally binding treaty that links environmental protection, water governance and public health.
It has already driven progress in expanding access to safe drinking water, improving disease surveillance, and protecting biodiversity.
Despite these achievements, challenges persist. According to WHO, 118 million people in Europe receive healthcare in facilities lacking basic sanitation, 70 million lack safely managed drinking water, and 185 million still do not have access to safe sanitation.
These weaknesses are being exacerbated by droughts, floods and cyber threats.
“The Protocol is an example of how multilateral cooperation impacts our daily lives, but we still have much work ahead,” said UNECE Executive Secretary Tatiana Molcean.
The Protocol offers countries a practical “toolbox” of resources, including an equitable access scorecard and water safety planning methods already used in more than 30 countries.
These tools have guided at least 1,500 facility assessments and influenced national policies in health, education and urban planning.
Dr. Hans Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe, emphasized that strengthening healthcare systems is “an investment in withstanding crises,” noting that healthcare is “being tested as never before.”
Under the Budapest Declaration and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), countries in the pan-European region have pledged to guarantee safe water and sanitation for all.
Concrete actions include improving menstrual hygiene in schools, monitoring wastewater for viruses such as COVID-19, tackling Legionella bacteria in domestic systems, and developing carbon-neutral water services.
As UN Secretary-General António Guterres stated in his message to the meeting: “Progress on water and sanitation supports progress across multiple Sustainable Development Goals.”
