FORUM : World Health Organization QUESTION OF: Addressing the importance of water,

sanitation, and hygiene in healthcare facilities to prevent the spread of infections and improve
overall
healthcare outcomes.
COUNTRY: United Kingdom of Great Britain
CAPITAL: London
PRIME MINISTER: Rishi Sunak
RULE: Constitutional monarchy
NEIGHBORING COUNTRIES: Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, the Netherlands,
Norway, and the Faroe Islands (Denmark).

Waterborne diseases are a leading cause of fatalities in the world, in the past many plagues and
outbreaks have been caused due to unsanitary conditions some of these diseases have taken
millions of lives some the examples are black plague and cholera pandemics. Still, the world,
many diseases are caused due to unsanitary conditions in developed and developing nations, and
this issue must be addressed as soon as possible. Great Britain has been through many outbreaks
and pandemics, The Third Cholera outbreak and the black Plague had profound impacts on Great
Britain, they were the deadliest outbreaks in the history of the world black plague killed 1/4th of
Europe.

The United Kingdom has taken a significant step in improving sanitation conditions after the
review of the Independent Commission for Aid Impact (ICAI) in 2016. At the time, the UK had
substantial ideas for WASH programs, designed to deliver on some ambitious global targets. The
project WASH aims to save lives and reduce illnesses by improving access to healthy and safe
water, appropriate sanitation, and improved hygiene.

The United Kingdom is one of the world's leading countries in healthcare and sanitation, more
than 90 percent of the UK’s households are connected to the main sewage systems, and diseases
caused by poor sanitation are almost nonexistent. The total 100 percent population of the United
Kingdom has the availability of water.

After the investigation by CDSC in 2015 with the help of the government, there have been no
outbreaks due to unsanitary conditions in the UK in the past 30 years. Water and sanitation is a
human right and should be provided to everyone, the UK being a country with excellent
healthcare facilities will provide help to developing nations.

"Global Distribution of Outbreaks of Water-Associated Infectious Diseases." PubMed

Central (PMC), www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3279334/ Accessed 18 Mar. 2024
"The UK’s Changing Approach to Water, Sanitation and Hygiene." ICAI, 7 Apr. 2022,
icai.independent.gov.uk/html-version/the-uks-changing-approach-to-water-sanitation-and-
hygiene/. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

"Outbreak: 10 of the Worst Pandemics in History." MPH Online, 31 Aug. 2021,

www.mphonline.org/worst-pandemics-in-history. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.