About this Course

Limited water, sanitation, hygiene, waste management, and cleaning (WASH) in health care facilities (HCF) are key vulnerabilities in health systems that can significantly affect the quality of care. Globally, one in four HCF lack basic water services, one in ten HCF have no sanitation services, one third of HCF lack handwashing facilities at point of care, and one third of HCF lack systems to segregate waste. Due to major data gaps, there is no baseline data on environmental cleaning in HCF. Under-prioritization of WASH in HCF has contributed to a higher risk of infection, increased use of antibiotics, and acceleration of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), especially among vulnerable populations.

There is a need for increased awareness among healthcare professionals on the importance of WASH in quality health care, as well as to develop their capacities to sustain WASH services and promote and practice good hygiene and safe water messaging given water’s critical linkages to nutrition, medication adherence, and safe birthing.

This course provides an overview of technical evidence and guidance for supporting better WASH in healthcare facilities to enhance patient health outcomes. The course’s WASH design and delivery considerations especially reflect the needs of people living with HIV (PHLIV) that are accessing care in Sub-Saharan Africa, including maternal, neonatal, and child health (MNCH) services.

What you will learn

After completing the course, the participants will be able to:

• Explain WASH measures used to assess quality of service.
• Understand, support, and advocate for the importance of WASH in quality health care, especially for vulnerable populations, including people accessing HIV or MNCH services.
• Demonstrate knowledge of WASH sector terms and concepts, such as the WASH servicing standards, climate resilience, and environmental sustainability.
• Utilize tools and resources to conduct a baseline analysis of and improve WASH and quality of care in health care facilities.