By Abdullahi Lukman
The World Health Organization (WHO) has released a new guidance document to help improve access to clean water and safe sanitation in health care facilities across the Western Pacific Region, including Indonesia.
This move aims to reduce infections, combat antimicrobial resistance, and enhance overall health care quality.
Titled Water and Sanitation Technologies for Health-care Facilities: Selecting options for adoption and scale-up in the Western Pacific Region, the 2024 publication offers practical tools for selecting appropriate water supply and wastewater treatment technologies suited to local conditions and capacities.
The guidance features a decision-support framework that evaluates environmental, technical, and institutional factors.
It also includes detailed technology factsheets and recommendations for improving climate resilience, sustainability, and long-term operation of systems.
Health sector planners, engineers, and multisectoral teams are the key target users of this document.
In Indonesia, where many rural and under-resourced areas still lack basic water and sanitation services, the guidance supports implementation of national health strategies.
It aligns with the Ministry of Health’s Strategic Plan and the Environmental Health Action Plan, both of which aim to improve waste management and increase compliance with environmental health standards in health care facilities.
The initiative also contributes to broader global goals, including the Sustainable Development Goals and WHO’s Framework for Action on WASH in health-care facilities.
