Plumbing for Health: A Pilot Program for Healthcare Facilities in Manila, Philippines

What if healthcare facilities flourished not just because of medical professionals but also because of skilled plumbers? IWSH® launched a pilot project in 2024 to help make that vision a reality in the Philippines, thanks to new collaboration between the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Plumbing Council (WPC), supporting the global WHO-UNICEF WASH in Healthcare Facilities program.

Using WHO's WASH FIT assessment tools, our team worked with fellow WPC member organizations PSSE (the Philippine Society of Sanitary Engineers) and NAMPAP (the National Association of Master Plumbers of the Philippines) to evaluate and help identify long-term improvements for water systems at four healthcare facilities in Manila.

We also identified critical gaps that our skilled plumber volunteers were able to provide immediate repairs for, during a four-day project that included:

• Successfully restoring two previously unusable hospital rooms at Ospital Ng Sampaloc by repairing a critical water tank system.
• Doubling the number of functional toilets from three to six at Earnshaw Health Center, addressing short-term needs while setting the stage for long-term reliability.
• Repairing three toilets and resolving drainage issues at Tondo Foreshore Health Center while developing plans for improved water storage.
• Commencing comprehensive water system mapping at San Lazaro Hospital, laying the groundwork for future upgrades.

Through our collaborative, community-based approach, IWSH and IAPMO technical experts worked alongside local maintenance teams at each healthcare center to document plumbing needs and develop maintenance protocols. Two toolkits were also donated to support ongoing maintenance at San Lazaro Hospital and Ospital Ng Sampaloc, providing further resources to minimize future problems.

PSSE, NAMPAP, and their respective Philippine industry regulation boards are using the new collaboration to develop Plumbing for Health addendums for national standards, and WHO Philippines has committed to further expansion of the program in 2025. In addition, PSSE student chapters in Manila and other regions across the country are stepping up to assist with WASH assessments, engaging the next generation of plumbing professionals.

Our 2024 Plumbing for Health pilot demonstrates how IWSH mobilizes the plumbing industry to transform communities. Through partnerships, professional training, and scalable solutions, we are creating a model that will improve WASH infrastructure in healthcare facilities not just throughout the Philippines but worldwide.