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Getting the latest healthcare news for you
Getting the latest healthcare news for you
WHO and UNICEF are tackling a glaring global gap: over 570 million people are served by health facilities with zero waste management. The WHO has launched a free online course covering the full healthcare waste pathway — from segregation to disposal — to help facilities worldwide get up to speed. The self-paced, two-hour course is open to anyone, no prerequisites needed.
The World Health Organization (WHO), in partnership with UNICEF, has launched a free online course titled Advanced Health Care Waste Management, available on the WHO Academy platform. The self-paced, six-module course covers the entire waste management pathway — classification, segregation, storage, transport, treatment, and disposal — along with guidance on mercury-containing devices and pharmaceutical waste. It's designed for health facility staff, planners, policymakers, and environmental health professionals, and can be completed in under two hours.
The course comes at a critical moment. New WHO-UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme data reveals that in 2025, 7% of health-care facilities globally had no waste management services at all, leaving an estimated 571 million people exposed to improperly handled medical waste.
By the Numbers:
Why it matters: Poorly managed healthcare waste isn't just an environmental issue — it's a patient safety and public health emergency. Hazardous waste can spread infections, contaminate soil and water, and release toxic pollutants. This course gives frontline teams and decision-makers practical tools to close a gap that affects hundreds of millions of people worldwide.
