Chargé d’affaires a.i. Leila C. Lora-Santos, introduces the resolution, calling for the integration of water, sanitation, hygiene, waste and electricity services into health planning, programming, financing and monitoring at the plenary meeting of the United Nations General Assembly.
UNITED NATIONS, NEW YORK, 18 December 2023 – The Philippines, with Hungary, led the consensual adoption by the United Nations General Assembly of the resolution entitled “Sustainable, safe and universal water, sanitation, hygiene (WASH), waste and electricity services in health-care facilities.” Colombia, Egypt, Nepal and Poland also formed part of the core group in support of the resolution.
The resolution focuses on three main areas where action is urgently needed: (i) integrate WASH, waste and electricity services into health planning, programming, financing and monitoring at all levels; (ii) regularly monitor and review progress, and strengthen accountability; and (iii) develop and empower the health workforce to deliver and maintain WASH, waste and electricity services, and practice good hygiene.
In introducing the resolution prior to its adoption, Ambassador Leila Lora-Santos, Chargé d'affaires of the Permanent Mission of the Philippines to the United Nations, noted that although some progress has been made since the 2019 World Health Assembly resolution that agreed to meet the target of universal access to water, sanitation, waste management and hygiene services in health care facilities by 2030, many critical gaps remain.
“It is deeply concerning that one in five health care facilities lacks basic water, one in five has no sanitation, one in two lacks basic hand hygiene, one in four does not segregate health care waste, and furthermore, one billion people access health care facilities without reliable electricity or without electricity access at all.” CDA Lora-Santos stated.
She further highlighted that a “fully functioning WASH, waste and electricity services are a crucial aspect of preventing infections, reducing anti-microbial resistance, ending preventable maternal and newborn deaths, and responding to outbreaks and emergencies;” and expressed the intent the core group to ensure that the discussions on sustainable, safe and universal WASH, waste and electricity services are integrated in other high-level relevant discussions here in the UN, in particular on Universal Health Coverage, Antimicrobial Resistance and interlinkages across the SDGs, among others.
The resolution brings to the attention of the General Assembly a very clear and urgent need for stronger multilateral collaboration to strengthen and consolidate Member State commitments, leadership and investments.
It was initiated and shepherded throughout the negotiation process by the Philippines and Hungary, co-chairs of the Group of Friends in support of WASH in healthcare facilities, with the support and assistance of World Health Organization teams from New York and Geneva as Secretariat. The said Group of Friends promotes effective Member States’ implementation of the UN Secretary General’s Global Call to Action to redress the very solvable inadequacies of WASH and related services in hospitals, health clinics, and birthing centers wherever needed. END