
On this UN World Water Day, we take a deep dive into the crucial work of our Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) team. World Water Day highlights the vital need for access to fresh water, as over two billion people worldwide still lack safe drinking water. As a frontline medical organization, we recognize the critical importance of addressing the global water crisis and its impact on disease outbreaks, natural disasters, and conflicts.
This year, we hear from UK-Med’s WASH Advisor, Joana Batista, about her team’s essential work in Gaza. Despite many challenges, they successfully implemented one of the few WASH systems providing clean water to thousands of people in just two weeks.
What is WASH?
Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) involves ensuring safe access to clean water and sanitation services, including water supply and storage, showers and washing facilities, hand hygiene, and medical waste management.
In 2010, the United Nations declared water and sanitation a human right. However, growing global insecurities leave millions of people without this basic necessity, drastically affecting public health. As Shaimaa Saqer, our WASH engineer in Gaza, emphasizes, effective WASH management is fundamental to healthcare:
“Everything that affects the health of patients and the hygiene of a medical facility falls under WASH responsibility.”

Why is WASH important?
Without access to safe water and sanitation services, civilians are forced to use contaminated water sources, increasing their risk of contracting deadly diseases. Every year, over one million people die from diarrheal diseases caused by poor WASH conditions—deaths that could have been prevented with access to clean water.
Beyond health, poor WASH conditions also impact dignity, mental health, and opportunities. The UN reports that people with the least access to water and sanitation are also the most likely to lack access to healthcare and stable employment, perpetuating cycles of poverty.

WASH in Gaza: The Reverse Osmosis System
In conflict settings, access to clean water is a significant challenge, and the lack of proper WASH management increases the risk of disease outbreaks, worsening the overall crisis. In Gaza, seawater infiltration contaminates local water systems, leaving civilians without sufficient potable water. Our health team on the ground report that many children suffer from infectious waterborne diseases such as Hepatitis A and diarrhoea due to cramped living conditions and limited access to clean water.
But what does it take to set up an effective WASH system in such challenging environments?
Joana outlines three key steps for integrating WASH into emergency medical responses:
- Find a water source – Whether from a well, a tap, or a river, we identify the most viable water source for the environment and community.
- Assess community needs – We determine how many people the system will serve and calculate the required water supply accordingly.
- Monitor and manage – A dedicated person oversees the system, ensuring it remains clean and efficient through daily checks.
“Without water, medical supplies are compromised, patients lack safe drinking water, and basic hygiene practices like handwashing and facility cleaning cannot be carried out. The availability of water in a health facility directly impacts the quality of healthcare.”
Operating amid active conflict requires innovative thinking. In Gaza, Joana and her team implemented a solar-powered reverse osmosis system, a technology that removes salt from water, making it safe for drinking and medical use. By using solar power, the system operates independently of fuel supplies, ensuring a continuous clean water source even when fuel is unavailable.
Despite its complexity, we were among the first organizations to set up such a system in just 2–3 weeks, producing around 30,000 litres of clean water per day.
Since its installation, the system has served approximately 120,000 patients and 80 staff members over the past year.
The dedication, creativity, and collaboration of our team enable us to provide high-quality healthcare in complex and often hostile environments.

The Future of WASH in Gaza
As Gaza remains unstable, with ongoing tensions and security challenges, UK-Med continues its commitment to delivering essential healthcare services. Looking ahead, Joana emphasizes the importance of refurbishing the WASH kit for our Type 2 surgical hospital (T2) with technologies and procedures tailored for rapid humanitarian response, while also minimizing environmental impact—an essential consideration in resource-scarce settings.
Another key focus for the future of WASH at UK-Med is strengthening collaboration with the Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) team. Community involvement is critical in outbreak situations, as spreading awareness on disease prevention can help reduce infection rates.
“We want to look at healthcare beyond the walls of the hospital. For me, community outreach is what truly drives my work.”
This shared commitment resonates across UK-Med. The resilience of the communities we serve and the dedication of national staff, who continue to provide care despite immense challenges, are what inspire us to keep delivering high-quality medical support where it is needed most.