Core Insights - The report by the World Health Organization and UNICEF highlights that despite progress in water and sanitation over the past decade, billions still lack access to basic drinking water, sanitation services, and personal hygiene [1] Group 1: Access to Drinking Water - Approximately 2.1 billion people globally do not have access to safely managed drinking water [1] - Out of this, 106 million people are consuming untreated surface water directly [1] Group 2: Sanitation Services - Around 3.4 billion people lack safely managed sanitation services [1]

Core Insights - The report by WHO and UNICEF highlights that despite progress in water and sanitation over the past decade, billions still lack access to basic drinking water and sanitation services [1] Group 1: Access to Water and Sanitation - Approximately 2.1 billion people globally lack access to safely managed drinking water, with 106 million drinking untreated surface water [1] - 3.4 billion people lack safely managed sanitation services, with 354 million still practicing open defecation [1] - 1.7 billion people lack basic hygiene facilities, with 611 million having no sanitation facilities at all [1] Group 2: Disparities in Access - Residents in the least developed countries are over twice as likely to lack basic drinking water and sanitation services compared to other countries, and three times more likely to lack basic sanitation facilities [1] - There is a persistent urban-rural gap, with rural residents improving but still lagging significantly behind urban areas [1] Group 3: Call to Action - WHO and UNICEF urge all sectors to accelerate actions to achieve the sustainable development goal of providing water and sanitation for all by 2030 [1]