Diarrhea continues to be a leading cause of illness and hospitalization nationwide, despite the Philippines’ economic growth and ongoing development initiatives, according to a joint study by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Philippines.
The study, “The Last-Mile Challenge: Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) in the Philippines,” found that only about half of the population has access to safely managed WASH services, with the poorest regions experiencing the most significant deficiencies.
“The inability of certain locations to access safe water has been associated with the urban-rural disparity, with millions of Filipinos in poor regions enduring unsafe water conditions,” the study said.
Households in the lowest wealth quintile have significantly lower access to safely managed drinking water and sanitation compared to wealthier households, highlighting the socio-economic divide. “About two-thirds of the poorest Filipinos still lack access to basic WASH facilities,” the study emphasized.
In 2019, poor WASH practices accounted for 86 percent of diarrhea-related deaths in the country. Of these fatalities, 35 percent were children under the age of five.
“Diarrhea can harm children’s overall well-being, including their physical health and nutritional status. This, in turn, can significantly impact their growth and development,” the authors said.
The PIDS-UNICEF study points to governance and infrastructure gaps as critical barriers to universal WASH access. Fragmented governance hinders the effective implementation of WASH initiatives, particularly in rural and remote areas.
Efforts such as the National Sustainable Sanitation Plan (NSSP) have made limited progress. The study reports that only 33 percent of barangays have been certified as having eliminated open defecation, far below the 80 percent target set for 2023.
To address these challenges, the authors called for a comprehensive and integrated approach encompassing infrastructure development, behavioral change, targeted interventions, and streamlined governance.
“Bridging these gaps through streamlined governance, efficient resource allocation, and targeted local interventions in underserved areas is vital to achieving universal and equitable access to safe water and sanitation,” the study said.
