Ruth Stringer, International Science and Policy Coordinator, Health Care Without Harm, participated on September 6 in the webinar “Healthcare Waste Management in Nepal: Moving towards sustainable practices through integrated approach”. Moving towards sustainable practices through integrated approach”. Organized by the German Agency for International Cooperation (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit, GIZ), this event brought together a panel of three expert speakers to explore the realm of safe and sustainable health care waste management in Nepal.

Nepal has been working to enhance its health care waste management infrastructure and capabilities. Health Care Without Harm and its partner in Nepal, the Health Environment and Climate Action Foundation (HECAF 360), are concluding a two-year project in the country, with the support of GIZ, to foster environmental resilience and health care waste management practices within Nepal's health care sector. Their collaborative efforts have included active engagement with various hospitals in Kathmandu, Nepal.

During the event, Ruth Stringer presented the global activities of Health Care Without Harm and underscored the importance of integration in achieving sustainable health care waste management. "It was a pleasure to share an update on the work of the Health Care Without Harm network, encompassing crucial aspects such as health care waste management, sustainable procurement, chemicals, plastics, and climate change, with members of the GIZ Hospital Partnership Network.", she said.

The compelling case study of the healthcare waste management project at Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital (TUTH) was presented by Mahesh Nakarmi, Director of HECAF 360, during the webinar. The report on the project not only offers an in-depth analysis of the situation at the institution but also sheds light on best practices to reduce waste generation while improving safety and resource efficiency through enhanced health care waste management based on the principles of the 3Rs (reduce, reuse, and recycle) at national and policy level as well as the global perspective.

Learn more about this project.