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2019 up to 2021 was a challenging series of years for the health and climate movement in Southeast…

It’s a strange twist that efforts to heal the sick and make people healthier can create waste products that harm others. Hospitals generate medical waste that, if not processed properly, can harm those exposed to it.Read more about Medical Waste, its sources, and our campaigns to control it, but clicking below:Know the IssueWaste MinimizationPromoting Alternative TechnologiesModel HospitalsMedWaste Country SpotlightTools & Resources

An opportunity for members and potential Global Green and Healthy Hospital (GGHH) members in the…

It’s a strange twist that efforts to heal the sick and make people healthier can create waste products that harm others. Hospitals generate medical waste that, if not processed properly, can harm those exposed to it. One of the most dangerous types of medical waster are “sharps.” These include used syringes and scalpels. As the name implies, sharps can cut or puncture the person handling them. The numbers are alarming: the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 40% of hepatitis cases and 12% of HIV cases worldwide are caused by occupational exposure.Hospitals also produce small amounts of chemical, pharmaceutical, and radioactive waste which requiring special handling. Add to this pile the large amounts of ordinary garbage such as food wrappers and utensils, which can make up 80% of the waste stream. A larger hospital can produce up to a ton of waster everyday.Know where that waste...

Many instruments used in hospitals, health care facilities and laboratories contain mercury. The substance is commonly found in thermometers, and blood pressure measuring device. Tools used in construction and the households such as thermostats, pressure gauges, and switches may also contain mercury. To know more about safer chemicals, follow the links below:Mercury Phase-OutSAICM and KeMI ProjectsTools & Resources

Less Waste, More GainsTips for Minimizing Waste Less Waste, More Gains We empower hospitals to reduce the amount, toxicity, and impact of waste they produce. Our efforts include promoting proper waste management such as minimization, segregation, and proper treatment.  Tips for Minimizing Waste Reduce, reuse and recycle!As much as 80% of the waste produced by health care facilities isn’t outright hazardous. As long as the waste isn’t mixed with dangerous or contaminated waste, much of it can be reused. And recycling plastics, papers, and bottles can even produce income.  You need to smoothen the process by implementing a rigorous segregation program. Sorting health care waste after it’s been mixed is extremely hazardous.HCWH-Asia has been collaborating with hospitals within Asia, and found it was possible to reuse or recycle items such as old office supplies and...

Alternative Technologies Scale of the ProblemThe Global Environmental Facility (GEF)  Alternative Technologies At the heart of it, our message is simple: Burning is not an option when it comes to disposing waste, especially medical waste. There are healthier, less-polluting methods out there, and HCWH-Asia is dedicated to promoting these alternatives. To this end, we’ve published reports on different non-burn technologies and manufacturers that are available to the international market. In the Philippines, HCWH-Asia spearheaded a campaign for the cancellation of a defunct Austrian medical waste incinerators project and an alternative budget initiative for alternative technologies. In 2004, our group documented a nationwide vaccination program that showed some remarkable results: The disposal of immunization waste is possible without incineration.Scale of the Problem Waste is unavoidable. We need to provide options on how to...

Healthcare Waste WorkPhilippine Measles Eradication CampaignLatest VideosTools and ResourcesFast Facts for TwitterLatest Healthcare Waste Work - Plastics in Healthcare: a Technical Report (2018)- Mobilizing Healthcare to Prevent Plastic Pollution: A toolkit for hospitals (2019)- Break Free From Plastic Healthcare Network Launch (2020)- Sustainable Health in Procurement Project, SHiPP - a UNDP project (2018 - present; implemented in hospitals in Indonesia and the Philippines) Philippines Measles Eradication Campaign (PMEC) Read-up on PMEC here. For more in-depth informaiton about the ground-breaking campaign, read:•Executive Summary of our report: Disposal of Mass Immunization Waste Without Incineration •Full report: Waste Management and Disposal During the Philippine Follow-Up Measles Campaign 2004Latest Videos  View the Burn Not video series, featuring celebs and cultural leaders. The videos shed light on the effects...

The Global Green and Healthy Hospitals Network (GGHHN) is a worldwide community of hospitals, health care systems, and organizations dedicated to reducing the ecological footprint of health care operations, in order to promote environmental and public health. The Network is based on members' commitment to implement the Global Green and Healthy Hospitals Agenda by developing more sustainable practices and by measuring progress over time. The GGHH community shares solutions and best practices. GGHH is a project of Health Care Without Harm.Read-through to learn more:GGHH: Know the Issue The 10 AgendaGlobal Green and Healthy Hospitals - AsiaTools & Resources

Health Care Without Harm Asia's policy paper titled "Protecting Health, Protecting Our Planet…

Know the IssueGlobal Mercury Campaign / Model PoliciesMercury-Free Alternatives Know the Issue   Mercury pollution is a severe global environmental and human health problem. The spread – and use – of mercury undermines efforts to improve health conditions in communities.Many instruments used in hospitals, health care facilities and laboratories contain mercury. The substance is commonly found in thermometers, and blood pressure measuring device. Tools used in construction and the households such as thermostats, pressure gauges, and switches may also contain mercury. Mercury may be released from these and other similar products, as no device is 100% failure-proof.  Substances such as fixatives, preservatives, lab chemicals, cleaners, and other products may have mercury added deliberately. When discarded inappropriately, mercury always contaminates the environment.Know the hazardsToxins with an especially heavy impact on the health care sector may be...

SAICMKEMI  SAICM Chemicals Substitution and Management in the Health Care SectorIn an effort to shift attitudes away from the use of hazardous chemicals in the health care sector, Health Care Without Harm’s regional offices in Asia and Latin America started the Chemicals Substitution and Management in the Health Care Sector: A Four-Hospital, Multi-Country Project in the Philippines and Argentina. Initiated in 2012, the activity is being conducted, in part, with support from the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management’s (SAICM) Quick Start Program. The project’s goal is to get the ball rolling on the adoption of national policies and procedures substituting hazardous chemicals in health care. Health Care Without Harm-Asia (HCWH-Asia) and Health Care Without Harm Latin-America (HCWH-LA), is also working with the HCWH global network of experts and partners. The project is being tested in four pilot hospitals in the Philippines and Argentina.The...