• More than 2 billion people lack access to safely managed drinking water.
• The UN warns that global progress towards universal water access is insufficient.
• Children's health, education, and futures are jeopardized due to lack of water and sanitation.
• Countries with highest need are largely in Africa, showing significant disparities.
• Efforts must accelerate to meet the 2030 goal for universal water and sanitation services.

According to a United Nations report, over two billion people worldwide still do not have access to safely managed drinking water, which places them at greater risk for various diseases. The report highlighted that one in four people globally lacked access to this essential resource as of last year, with many relying on unsafe surface water sources, such as rivers and ponds. Notably, over 100 million people are currently dependent on drinking surface water, further amplifying health risks, according to Channel News Asia, The Jakarta Post, and TRT Global.

The joint study conducted by the World Health Organization and UNICEF indicated that efforts to improve water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services have not kept pace with needs, putting billions at risk. Despite some progress, the UN states that the target for universal access to these services by 2030 is "increasingly out of reach." Ruediger Krech, environment chief at WHO, emphasized that "water, sanitation, and hygiene are not privileges: they are basic human rights" and called for heightened action, particularly for marginalized communities, as reported by Channel News Asia, The Jakarta Post, and TRT Global.

Since 2015, the number of individuals accessing safely managed sanitation services has increased by 1.2 billion, with coverage rising from 48% to 58%. Importantly, the number of people practicing open defecation has decreased by 429 million, reaching 354 million in 2024. Parallelly, in terms of hygiene, approximately 1.6 billion people gained access to basic hygiene services, thus improving from 66% to 80%. However, challenges remain particularly acute for regions like Africa, where many still lack basic service access, found Channel News Asia, The Jakarta Post, and TRT Global.