Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department will take to promote the importance of WASH in healthcare facilities as a critical element of tackling antimicrobial resistance international at the G7.

Clean water, sanitation, and hygiene services (WASH) are critical for preventing the spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in healthcare facilities and for achieving Universal Health Coverage.

Under the 2021 G7 United Kingdom presidency, we secured ambitious commitments on AMR. We have continued to maintain momentum by advocating for improved WASH services and robust action on AMR in both the 2022 and this year’s communiqué negotiations.

The Department of Health and Social Care also supports Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office international leadership through the UK’s membership of the WASH In Healthcare Facilities international taskforce, bilateral programming such as our innovative hand hygiene partnership with Unilever, and core multilateral funding including the World Bank and the World Health Organization.