WASH funding gaps undermine service sustainability

Bangladesh has achieved near-universal coverage of improved water sources in schools and healthcare facilities, but a new national survey reveals deep structural weaknesses that threaten the sustainability of these gains.
Only a small fraction of institutions allocate dedicated funds to maintain water infrastructure, raising concerns over the long-term reliability of water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services.
The findings come from the "WASH in Education and Healthcare Facilities Survey 2024", released by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) at its auditorium in Dhaka on Sunday.
Secretary to the Statistics and Informatics Division (SID) Mijarul Rahman attended the event as chief guest, while Farook Adrian Doomun, UNICEF Representative to Bangladesh, was present as guest of honour.
The survey assesses not just access to WASH facilities, but also their quality, inclusiveness and resilience - areas where progress has lagged despite high headline coverage.
The data suggest that without stronger financing, better standards compliance and climate-resilient systems, existing WASH infrastructure risks deterioration, with implications for public health, education outcomes and gender equity.
Only 11.1 per cent of schools and 34.1 per cent of healthcare facilities have dedicated budget allocations for maintaining improved water sources, exposing a major sustainability gap in WASH services.
Despite high overall coverage of improved water sources, 95.4 per cent in schools and 87.5 per cent in healthcare facilities, access drops sharply when international service-level standards are applied.
Only 66.1 per cent of schools and 70.5 per cent of healthcare facilities meet the criteria for basic water service, which require water sources to be located within the premises.
Access to improved water facilities, suitable for persons with disabilities, stands at 54.4 per cent in schools and 40.9 per cent in healthcare facilities.
Sanitation infrastructure also shows significant shortcomings. While 90.6 per cent of schools and 85.8 per cent of healthcare facilities have at least one toilet, only 28.6 per cent of schools meet the internationally recommended standard of one improved toilet per 50 students.
Safe management of human waste is practised by 33.9 per cent of schools and 45.8 per cent of healthcare facilities. Toilets accessible for persons with disabilities remain scarce, available in just 4.6 per cent of schools and 30.6 per cent of healthcare facilities.
Handwashing facilities are present in most institutions, but many lack water and soap. As a result, 51.7 per cent of schools and 50.0 per cent of healthcare facilities fail to meet the basic handwashing service standard, heightening the risk of disease transmission and weakening infection prevention.
The survey also highlights persistent gaps in menstrual health management (MHM).
Only 70.7 per cent of schools have separate, safe and hygienic toilets for adolescent girls, while just 6.1 per cent provide basic MHM services. The absence of adequate facilities contributes to school absenteeism and reinforces gender-based disparities in education.
In waste management, 78.3 per cent of schools reported arrangements for solid waste disposal. However, only 28.4 per cent of healthcare facilities meet minimum standards for medical waste management, raising concerns over environmental pollution and public health risks.
Climate vulnerability remains a pressing challenge. Over the past 12 months, 24.0 per cent of schools and 19.4 per cent of healthcare facilities were affected by natural disasters, resulting in damage to WASH infrastructure.
Yet only 30.7 per cent of schools and 9.9 per cent of healthcare facilities reported having climate-resilient WASH systems.
Speaking at the programme, SID Secretary Mijarul Rahman stressed that achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly universal access to safe water and sanitation, requires accurate, timely and credible data.
He said evidence-based policymaking is not possible without a strong statistical foundation.
BBS Director General Mohammad Mizanur Rahman said Bangladesh has made notable progress in expanding basic WASH services compared with many other countries, but cautioned that gaps in quality, accessibility and sustainability persist.
He noted that the survey would serve as a critical reference for national planning and development efforts.
The BBS said addressing the identified shortcomings would require increased investment, stronger institutional coordination and targeted policy interventions to ensure inclusive, resilient and sustainable WASH services in schools and healthcare facilities.

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