After 12 prolific years with Health Care Without Harm, Merci Ferrer is leaving the organization as Director of the HCWH-Asia office to take a much deserved break and spend more quality time with her loved ones.
Merci joined HCWH in 2003, and brought with her over a decade of experience in championing various human rights and environmental causes across Asia.
Under Merci’s dynamic leadership, HCWH-Asia grew from zero to 10 staff, while establishing a series of partnerships with the health care sector in the Philippines and many other countries in the region. As Director, Merci was able to engage even greater numbers of hospitals, health health systems, health professionals and organizations, while simultaneously expanding the framework of environmental health to include social equity and environmental justice.
An environmental health stalwart
"Merci has been a trailblazer in Asia in establishing the importance of environmental responsibility for the health sector. She leaves behind a strong organization to carry on her work and a growing network throughout the region of hospitals and healthy systems on the path to sustainable health care," expressed Gary Cohen, President and Co-Founder of HCWH.
"Merci has made a tremendous contribution to HCWH in the Philippines, in Asia and around the world. We are going to miss her spirit, her commitment and her vision. We wish her only the best as she embarks on this next phase of her life," said Josh Karliner, Director of Global Projects for HCWH.
HCWH work in Asia
Even though she is leaving the organization, Merci is confident that the HCWH-Asia team will continue to expand the work in the region through the Global Green and Healthy Hospitals, Medical Waste and Safer Chemicals, and Healthy Energy Initiative campaigns.
“I am happy because I will be leaving behind a team that is competent and works hard to do what is needed to be done and, finally, because healthy and sustainable food work is now part of the team's area of work.
We are also getting more interests from hospitals and health systems in Asia to be part of the Global Green and Healthy Hospital, with more and more hospitals consulting HCWH about their health care waste management work, particularly with autoclave as a treatment technology becoming more mainstream.
Under our Healthy Energy Initiative campaign, more health professionals and organizations have shown keen interest to take part in calling for an end on the use of fossil fuel and demand for the renewable energy option.”
Starting a new advocacy
After HCWH, Merci plans on working to promote the welfare of underprivileged children and animals.
"Leaving HCWH is kind of continuing my HCWH work. My new life in the coming days and months will change gears and refocus for the benefit of abandoned and abused animals and the children in poor communities who deserve books to read and libraries where they can dream. It will encourage more kids to read and be happy, interact and share stories. This is my immediate future, where zero waste and environmental health work will be very much a part of."
“I would like to thank my HCWH family for the opportunity to be part of an effective global network promoting environmental health. I have learned a lot from working with hospital administrators down to the waste management personnel, with HCWH members at all levels, from local to global and other people whom I have met. I have cherished the many friendships that I have built through the years."
Merci’s indomitable passion for her work and her numerous accomplishments will surely be hard to surpass. Her Health Care Without Harm family and colleagues are extremely grateful to have worked with her and only wishes her the best.
Moving Forward
As HCWH-Asia begins its search for a new Director, Administrative and Finance Officer Joyce Lanuza will take over as Acting Director, while Senior Officer Faye Ferrer will act as the Spokesperson of the organization on general HCWH issues.
Even though Merci is leaving the organization, the vibrant work she has started continues, with many HCWH-Asia activities still lined up for this year:
Webinar on Healthcare Waste Management (October 14)
Launch of short video documentary on the Healthy Energy Initiative (October)
GGHH Asia Conference, Seoul, South Korea (October 29-30)
Webinar on Healthy Energy (November 17)
A few of HCWH-Asia’s milestone accomplishments
under Merci’s leadership include:
Promotion of non-burn waste management systems and technologies
•Successfully waging a national campaign against waste incineration and the protection of the incineration ban in the Philippines;
•Lobbying for the Philippine government to allocate a national budget for non-burn treatment technologies and non-mercurial devices for public hospitals;
•Participating in the UNDP-Global Environment Facility Project on Healthcare Waste to promote and document best healthcare waste management practices in the Philippines and Vietnam;
•Launching of a national joint project with the Department of Health, World Health Organization-Philippines, and UNICEF on the use of non-incineration options during the Philippine Measles Elimination Campaign;
•Publishing a series of major reports on healthcare waste assessments, non-burn technologies for mass immunizations, good environmental practices of Philippine hospitals, mercury phase-out, as well as training tools on safer chemicals.
Mercury-free health care
•Advocating for, promoting, and supporting the Department of Health’s administrative order for the phasing out of mercury in health care in the Philippines;
•Organizing the first Southeast Asia mercury conference followed by the Asia-wide mercury conference, and the first Global Green & Healthy Hospitals Asia conference.
Establishing deep and impactful partnerships
•Strengthening the environmental health movement in the Philippines and building relationships with medical societies, nurses associations, private hospital associations, regional health bodies, and public hospitals;
•Promoting the work of HCWH-Asia to international audiences in Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Nepal, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand, United States, Vietnam, and other countries;
•Deepening working relationships with the Philippine Department of Health, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and Department of Energy;
•Building stronger partnerships with WHO Western Pacific Regional Office and WHO Philippines.
The rest of the Health Care Without Harm Asia team looks forward to continuing and strengthening the collaborations Merci has started with our many partners, as we carry on with our work in caring for the health of our people and the planet.
