Mapping the evidence on environmental health services in healthcare facilities in low- and middle-income countries: A systematic literature inventory of over 4,000 studies
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Background
Environmental health services in healthcare facilities —including water, sanitation, hygiene, waste management, cleaning, and infection control—prevent disease and strengthen healthcare delivery. Yet environmental health service provision is inadequate in many low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Despite the importance of monitoring and improving services, no comprehensive evidence map exists to describe global knowledge and gaps for action and improvement. The study objectives were to comprehensively catalog published literature on environmental health services in healthcare facilities in LMICs by service domain, study type, and relevance to policy and practice.
Methods
We conducted a systematic literature search in 2023 and performed an update in 2025. Through a title/abstract screening and tagging process, we developed a literature inventory that categorized studies by topic, design, and relevance to policy and practice objectives.
Results
The literature inventory included 4,381 studies. Fifty-eight percent of the studies were baseline assessments of environmental health services, 36% involved formative research (e.g., qualitative methods), and 13% evaluated interventions or implementation strategies. Most studies (62%) examined hygiene at points of care, while 9% examined water and 6% sanitation. Twenty-seven percent of studies examined services in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Conclusions
There is little evidence for effective interventions and implementation strategies to improve and sustain environmental health services, especially for water and sanitation services. Formative research on under-studied services can help policymakers and practitioners identify areas to prioritize investment and programming. Findings can inform the development of research agendas and practical guidelines for improving access to safe healthcare environments.
