The lack of access to clean water, proper sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) facilities has been identified by a joint study by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) and the United Nations Children’s Fund Philippines as the root cause for diarrhea continuing to be a leading cause of illness and hospitalization in the country, particularly in impoverished and underserved communities.
The study found that only about half of the population has access to safely managed WASH services, with the deficiencies most severe in the country’s poorest regions.
Up to 50 percent of the population, including children under age of 5, still drink surface water, exposing communities to heightened risks of waterborne diseases like diarrhea.
Households in the lowest wealth quintile have significantly lower access to safely managed drinking water and sanitation compared to wealthier households. “About two-thirds of the poorest Filipinos still lack access to basic WASH facilities,” the study emphasized.
The consequences of such conditions are devastating, particularly for children. In 2019, poor WASH practices accounted for 86 percent of diarrhea-related deaths in the country, where 35 percent were children under the age of 5.
The study points to governance and infrastructure as critical barriers to universal WASH access. Fragmented governance, where overlapping responsibilities are spread across multiple agencies, hinders the effective implementation of WASH initiatives, particularly in rural and remote areas.
The authors called for a comprehensive and integrated approach encompassing infrastructure development, behavioral change, targeted interventions, and streamlined governance. A multifaceted strategy is essential to address the diverse challenges in delivering WASH services effectively, particularly in underserved areas.
Clean water, proper sanitation, and hygiene facilities should be available and accessible to all Filipinos, especially the young ones who are the most vulnerable to preventable waterborne diseases like diarrhea, which if left unchecked, can result in sickness and even death of so many that it can be among its leading causes. In this day and age, the construction and provision of such basic facilities should already have been accomplished. However, the data says that a lot of work is still left to be done.
Our public officials should make WASH a priority, especially in impoverished and underserved communities, as aside from saving lives, we can also save money if we prevent diseases like diarrhea, and those who are vulnerable don’t have to waste precious resources on hospitalization and even burial.*
