This new report from WHO and UNICEF is an urgent call to transform sanitation for better health, environments, economies and societies. Citing evidence on what works from successful countries and global guidelines, WHO and UNICEF call for strong government leadership and investment in resilient sanitation services.

Improvements in water sanitation and hygiene (WASH) and wastewater management in all sectors are critical elements of preventing infections and reducing the spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) as identified in the Global Action Plan to combat AMR.

The Statistics South Africa general household survey in 2016 noted that despite the large improvements made since 1994, many households still lack access to safe, affordable and reliable sanitation services.

Living without sanitation is endangering the health and livelihoods of the world’s poorest people. A staggering two billion still do not have access to a decent toilet. Now, climate change is aggravating this sanitation crisis.

The aim of this study is to better understand the social accountability mechanisms that can improve the delivery of water and sanitation services. It seeks to answer the question of how local communities engage with decision-makers to realize their human right to water and sanitation.

The water supply and sanitation sector remains heavily subsidized around the world. Yet, the accounting of water supply and sanitation subsidies globally has proved challenging due to utility-level data limitations and their often implicit nature.