UN-Water Global Analysis and Assessment of Sanitation and Drinking-Water - GLAAS 2014 Report

The urgent need for increased access to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services is a key theme of this report. The UN-Water Global Analysis and Assessment of Sanitation and Drinking-Water (GLAAS 2014) led by WHO on behalf of UN-Water, draws on data from 94 countries and 23 external support agencies. It is the most comprehensive report, to date, on country efforts and approaches to extend WASH services to all.

There are important achievements to note. Between 1990 and 2012, for example, 2.3 billion people around the world gained access to an improved drinking-water source. In that same time frame, the number of children who died from diarrhoeal diseases—strongly associated with poor water, sanitation and hygiene—fell from approximately 1.5 million to just over 600,000.

However, key areas of concern remain. In many countries, for example, inadequate water and sanitation policies and practices are fuelling the spread of disease, not only in households and communities, but in schools and health centres. At the time of writing, poor WASH conditions in communities and institutional settings, especially health facilities, have been exacerbating the spread of Ebola in West Africa.