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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Health
Liz Cookman

Nearly one billion people forced to use healthcare facilities without clean water

Almost one billion people around the world rely on healthcare facilities without water, leaving patients and health workers without one of the most fundamental requirements for safe care.

Some 907 million people used healthcare facilities without water in 2025, while 936 million were treated in facilities without sanitation and 652 million in places without basic hygiene services, according to new research by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

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