Uzbekistan launches national hygiene program for schools, hospitals
‘Clean Hands’ initiative to bring indoor toilets, water access, and hygiene education to thousands of institutions
TASHKENT, Uzbekistan (MNTV) — Uzbekistan has launched a nationwide hygiene initiative aimed at improving sanitation in educational and medical institutions, many of which still lack basic facilities.
The “Clean Hands” program, approved by the Cabinet of Ministers last week, will build indoor toilets in schools that currently rely on outdoor latrines and provide drinking water systems in areas without piped supply. The effort is part of Uzbekistan’s broader 2025 State Program under the “Uzbekistan-2030” Strategy.
According to Gazeta.uz, the program will address critical hygiene gaps affecting health outcomes. President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, speaking at a meeting last week, said that 35 to 40 percent of infectious diseases in the country are linked to poor hygiene.
A March 2024 report from the Institute for Macroeconomic and Regional Studies found that 70 percent of schools are not connected to sewage systems, and nearly 30 percent lack a reliable water supply.
Under the Clean Hands program, all schools and hospitals will receive soap, toilet paper, and other hygiene products. In areas without piped water, infrastructure will be developed to deliver and store drinking water. Indoor restrooms will be built in 126 schools, while more than 6,000 kindergartens will receive solar water heaters. Another 4,295 institutions will be equipped with water tanks and cisterns. The government has allocated 780 billion soums ($60.7 million) for the initiative this year.
The program also introduces a “three-star approach” to assess hygiene standards in schools. Institutions will be rated based on hygiene education, water access, gender-sensitive facilities, and inclusion of students with disabilities. The highest rating requires full implementation of the WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) program.
President Mirziyoyev emphasized the need for public awareness campaigns on personal hygiene and stressed that every public institution must meet basic sanitary standards.
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