UNICEF scales up efforts to improve hygiene and sanitation in schools

The United Nations Children's Fund – UNICEF and partners are working to improve sanitary facilities in schools to safeguard children from risks associated with lack of access to clean water and toilets.

This comes as the United Nations warned on Monday that millions of children are going to school without basic hygiene facilities, and the goal of universal access to basic water, sanitation and hygiene remains a huge challenge.

More than 30 per cent of schools worldwide do not provide safe drinking water; a third of schools do not provide the most basic of toilet facilities and nearly 900 million children go to schools with no handwashing facilities with soap and water, according to a joint report by WHO and UNICEF.  

The report states that good hygiene facilities in schools provide the basis of a healthy learning environment.

In South Sudan, Biar Kuai Biar, UNICEF WASH specialist told Miraya Breakfast show that some interventions have been initiated to improve access to water and sanitation in schools.

Listen here