Geospatial distribution of unimproved water source and sanitation facilities in Ethiopia: evidence from the latest demographic and health survey (2019)

United Nations is standing for Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6 sets the agenda to address worldwide inequality in accessing safe water and improved sanitation facilities for all by 2030. However, governments in Africa seem unable to address the issue water and of sanitation facilities, since there are problems like increasing costs of sustaining existing water sources and the requirement to deliver new facilities ahead of time. Hence, this study aimed to investigate unimproved water sources and sanitation facilities geographical variation in Ethiopia using EDHS 2019 datasets. This study was community-based cross-sectional based on nationally representative data (EMDHS 2019) to identify the demographic variability of unimproved water sources and sanitation facilities in Ethiopia. STATA 14, ArcGIS 10.7, and Kuldorff's SaTScan 10.1 software were used in data analysis. Weighted by sampling weight was performed to do a trustworthy statistical analysis. Based on the dataset EMDHS 2019 Ethiopia access in both unimproved water sources was geographically clustered in Ethiopia. The finding revealed that, there were a significant spatial variation of unimproved water sources and sanitation facilities in Ethiopia. Hot and cold spot analysis revealed that there were parts of Ethiopia with higher levels of unimproved water sources and sanitation facilities coverage than other parts of the country. The SaTScan analysis of unimproved water sources indicated that the primary cluster was found southeast part of Ethiopia. The SaTScan analysis of unimproved sanitation facilities indicated that the primary cluster window was found in Benishangul Gumuz and the western part of Ethiopia. This study contribute to the understanding of the status of drinking water source and sanitation facilities based on recent EHDS data, which can inform policymakers in designing effective strategies that address specific regional challenges. This finding confirmed the previous EDHS 2016 that revealed spatial variation of unimproved water sources and sanitation facilities in the country. Findings implies that the persistence of water sources and sanitation facilities inequality continue in country. Hence, the result recommends responsible stakeholders working water source and sanitation facilities to guarantee Sustainable Development Goal 6 in Ethiopia. In addition to providing insight into Ethiopia's water and sanitation facilities situation, this study highlights important areas for development that can be applied to other nations dealing with comparable problems, especially those in Sub-Saharan Africa.