Challenges and opportunities for advancing data-driven WASH programming: Reflections from the UNC Chapel Hill Water and Health Conference side event "DATA: A key for unlocking quality in WASH programming"

Achieving universal and equitable WASH services requires accurate, data-driven understanding of context, needs, and evidence. Investing in data systems enables stakeholders to assess needs, identify priorities, and allocate resources efficiently. As researchers and practitioners working in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), we have never had greater access to data. However, there is still much that we can learn about how to translate this data into action in the pursuit of more effective, equitable, and accountable WASH programming. During the 2023 Water & Health Conference at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, we convened a meeting of WASH researchers, practitioners, and data specialists to discuss the current state and trajectory of data-driven WASH programming in LMIC contexts. Our goals were to identify opportunities for the application of data to drive improvements in WASH programme quality, and to foster collaboration among organisations working in this space. Here we summarise four emergent themes, documenting examples of, and recommendations for, action. We aim this article at academic researchers, practitioners, and governments, particularly those involved in the design, implementation, and evaluation of WASH programmes in LMICs and in humanitarian contexts. We acknowledge that our perspectives are primarily rooted in the USA, Canada, and Europe, and recognize that a more globally inclusive dialogue around WASH data is needed to build a more comprehensive understanding of these issues.