The WHO has stressed that “actions for improving WASH are critical to the fight against AMR.”5 out of the 6 pathogens responsible for the 5 million deaths associated with bacterial AMR in 2019 were healthcare-associated, and the major transmission pathway for these is a lack of hygiene measures in healthcare facilities. Yet, half of healthcare facilities in the world still do not have basic hand hygiene facilities on site, resulting in more than a million mothers and newborn babies’ deaths each year. Our recent study estimated that the financial cost to treat healthcare-acquired infections, at least half of which are resistant to antibiotics, was up to 10.9% of a country in Sub-Saharan Africa’s annual health expenditure. We call on decision makers to see increased investment in WASH as a preventive strategy to tackling AMR – and to prioritize the delivery of WASH within those AMR National Action Plans that identify its need.