A water tap (illustration).

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The situation puts staff and patients at a higher risk of infection with Covid-19.

One in four health facilities in the world lacks water services.

In total, about 1.8 billion people go to or work in places that are facing this problem, warn this Monday the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef) in a joint report based on data from 165 countries.

“Working in a healthcare facility without water, sanitation and hygiene is a bit like sending nurses and doctors to work without personal protective equipment,” says WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

🆕 report highlights that ~ 1.8 billion people are at ↗️ risk of # COVID19 & other diseases because they use or work in health care facilities without basic water services 🚱 - putting millions of lives around the 🌎🌍🌏 at risk



👉 https: // t .co / K2EDzbooMg pic.twitter.com/43LjlQMQhz

- World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) December 14, 2020

A danger in the face of Covid-19

He recalls that "the supply of water, sanitation and hygiene in health establishments are fundamental to stopping the Covid-19".

According to the WHO, the proportion of health professionals infected with the coronavirus is much higher than in the rest of the population: they represent less than 3% of the population, but account for 14% of the cases reported worldwide.

"Sending health professionals and people in need of treatment to establishments without clean water, safe toilets, or even soap, puts their lives in danger", also assures the general director of Unicef, Henrietta Fore .

According to the report, one in four health facilities in the world do not have water services, one in three do not provide adequate hand hygiene in the places where care is provided, and one in ten do not have no access to sanitation services, and one in three does not sort their waste safely.

It is in the 47 least developed countries (LDCs) that the situation is most catastrophic, with one in two health establishments that do not have a basic drinking water supply service.

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