Progress on drinking water, sanitation and hygiene in schools: Special focus on COVID-19

Progress on drinking water, sanitation and hygiene in schools: Special focus on COVID-19 was published on August 13, 2020, by the World Health Organization and United Nations Children’s Fund through their Joint Monitoring Programme. Established in 1990, the programme presents data on drinking water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), in keeping with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 6 and related goals). The report provides national, regional, and global estimates on WASH in schools up to the year 2019, emphasising the safety of students and staff amidst the Covid-19 pandemic. It primarily uses data compiled by the UNICEF and WHO country offices in consultation with national statistical offices and ministries of education. The report covers a total of 173 countries, areas and territories, including India. Among these, 120 countries reported having sufficient data on drinking water services, 117 countries had enough information on sanitation and 110 countries had sufficient data on basic hygiene. The 88-page report has seven chapters: Introduction (chapter 1); Progress on drinking water in schools (chapter 2); Progress on sanitation in schools (chapter 3); Progress on hygiene in schools (chapter 4); Reducing inequalities in WASH in schools (chapter 5); Providing safe and inclusive facilities for all (chapter 6); and Annexes (chapter 7).