Shania Shayal Prasad 
The lack of data on water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) is a major barrier to improving healthcare in many countries including Fiji.
UNICEF WASH Specialist Suranga De Silva pointed out that insufficient data delays healthcare progress and hampers effective resource allocation and decision-making.
This data gap not only makes it difficult to track progress but also limits the ability to measure the impact of healthcare initiatives.
De Silva further explains that the problem is exacerbated by the reliance on limited data classifications, which leaves critical gaps in understanding WASH’s role in healthcare.
The challenge, he says, needs urgent attention to improve healthcare delivery in rural and underserved areas.
“So water, for Fiji the data is available only under one classification. I think that is only under hospital classification. So we don’t have data for other like urban-rural and non-hospital settings, I think that means health centers.”
Pacific Community IPC Advisor Margaret Leong states that her organization is ready to support efforts to improve monitoring and reporting systems.
She adds that enhancing these systems will help countries align their healthcare priorities with the global Sustainable Development Goals, ultimately driving progress in WASH-related healthcare outcomes.
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