The Global Framework for Action 2024–2030 for water, sanitation, hygiene, waste and electricity services in all health care facilities (the “Framework”) serves to guide efforts to deliver safe and sustainable water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), health care waste management and reliable electricity in all health care facilities. The ultimate aim is to provide quality care for all. The Framework reflects a global consultative process and includes data and recommendations articulated in recent WHO/UNICEF global reports on WASH, waste and electricity in health care facilities. It also provides an operational roadmap for implementing the 2023 United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) resolution on WASH, waste and electricity in health care facilities. The target audiences for this Framework include health leaders and programme managers at the global and national levels; policymakers; WASH, waste and energy leaders and technical experts; development partners and finance institutions; and actors and experts on gender equality, disability and social inclusion and climate; and, more generally, civil society. The Framework deals with the WASH, waste and electricity elements of the WHO comprehensive approach to build safe, climate-resilient and environmentally sustainable health care facilities.

WASH in health care facilities is essential for quality care – on this there is universal consensus. Many countries are taking action, but more collaborative, focused and expansive effort and investments are needed. This report focuses on global and national efforts and progress to improve water, sanitation, hygiene (WASH), cleaning and health care waste management in health care facilities. It builds upon the first update of progress published in 2020. In addition, in response to demands from countries and health actors on providing a consolidated package of information and interventions on climate-resilient and sustainable infrastructure services in health care facilities, data on electricity and examples of electrification are included. It includes a summary of country progress in implementing national actions (“practical steps”) articulated in the 2019 World Health Assembly Resolution on WASH in health care facilities, drawing on data from a “country tracker” and provides insights on successful approaches and challenges from country experiences in improving and sustaining WASH in health care facilities. The main audiences for the report are national health authorities; those engaged in WASH and infection prevention and control (IPC) in health care facilities, including ministries of health, water, infrastructure, energy and financing; global and national WASH and health partners, including donors and health funders; and actors working on climate-resilient and low-carbon health care facilities and health systems.

The Patient safety rights charter is a key resource intended to support the implementation of the Global Patient Safety Action Plan 2021–2030: Towards eliminating avoidable harm in health care. The Charter aims to outline patients’ rights in the context of safety and promotes the upholding of these rights, as established by international human rights standards, for everyone, everywhere, at all times.

Setting credible and ambitious decarbonization targets is a key step in implementing low carbon sustainable health systems. This document provides advice and resources to assist national and sub-national health officials in setting adequate decarbonization targets, as a supplement to the WHO Operational Framework for Building Climate Resilient and Low Carbon Health Systems. It contains a checklist of key considerations that can be used to ensure that emissions reduction targets are tangible and clearly defined, consistent with other decarbonization targets inside and outside the health sector, and function as an effective tool for driving and monitoring progress on health system decarbonization.