Safe water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) remained fundamental to health, disease prevention, resilience and equity in 2025, but the global context for action became more difficult. Despite progress since 2015, the world remains dangerously off track to achieve Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6. Billions of people still lack safely managed drinking-water, sanitation and hygiene services, and more than 1 billion people receive care in health care facilities without even basic water services. The consequences remain severe: inadequate WASH contributes to an estimated 1.4 million deaths each year, while cholera, conflict and climate shocks continue to expose the fragility of essential services.