Health Care Without Harm-Asia is proud to congratulate our President and Co-Founder Gary Cohen, who has recently been named as one of the 2015 Fellows of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation for his over two decades of work as an environmental health advocate.
"American hospitals have historically been major contributors to environmental pollution, largely ignoring the damage to local communities and environments caused by extensive use of harmful chemicals in medical devices, toxic cleaning agents, reliance on fossil fuels, and disposal of waste via incineration," stated the official MacArthur announcement. "Cohen has led a paradigm shift in the perceived responsibility of health care providers, from a narrow, patient-centered duty of service regarding individual health to a broader obligation to also 'do no harm' to surrounding communities, their residents, and the global environment."
Cohen co-founded Health Care Without Harm in 1996 initially waging a successful campaign that led to the phase-out of toxic substances such as mercury in medical devices. HCWH also played a lead role in campaigning against the burning of waste through incinerators in the United States which led to the significant reduction of carcinogenic-emitting waste incinerators in the US.
Since its establishment, HCWH has grown into a global network of more than 500 member hospitals, health systems, and organizations around the world with regional offices in Asia, Europe, and Latin America.
"The MacArthur Fellowship is a testament to the power and passion of the people who helped build Health Care Without Harm and the thousands of health care advocates who are building a movement for sustainable healthcare around the world," said Mr. Cohen. "This award is not only validation for my life's work but also for the staff and health care leaders that have built the movement for sustainable health care over the last twenty years."