Millions Lack Safe Medical Waste Services as WHO Launches Free Course

Health-care waste management involves much more than finding somewhere to dispose of used medical materials.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has launched a free online course aimed at helping health facilities manage their waste more safely, addressing a problem that continues to put health workers, patients, communities and the environment at risk. Developed by WHO and UNICEF with contributions from partners, the self-paced programme turns technical guidance into practical knowledge for the people who plan, operate and improve health-care waste services.

Health-care waste management involves much more than finding somewhere to dispose of used medical materials. Waste needs to be identified correctly, separated at the point where it is generated, stored securely, transported safely and treated using appropriate methods before final disposal. The six-module WHO course follows this entire pathway. Participants learn about waste classification and segregation, collection and storage, transportation, treatment and disposal, while also exploring waste minimization, recycling, treatment capacity and infrastructure planning.

Special attention is given to pharmaceutical waste and mercury-containing medical devices, both of which can create serious health and environmental risks when discarded incorrectly. The programme also explains that purchasing treatment equipment alone cannot solve waste-management problems. Facilities need appropriate standards, trained workers, reliable financing, suitable infrastructure, routine monitoring and clearly assigned responsibilities.

Knowledge checks are included throughout the modules, followed by a final assessment. Participants who complete the programme receive confirmation of participation. No previous specialist knowledge is required, and the English-language course can generally be completed within two hours, either at once or across several sessions.

Hundreds of millions still lack safe waste services

The course arrives while large gaps in basic health-care waste management remain worldwide. New estimates from the WHO and UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme show that 71% of health-care facilities had basic waste management services in 2025. Another 21% had only limited services, while 7% had no waste management service at all.

The human scale behind those percentages is striking. Health-care facilities serving an estimated 571 million people lacked waste management services, meaning waste in these facilities was neither safely segregated nor safely treated and disposed of.

Poor waste handling can expose cleaners, waste workers, nurses, doctors, patients and surrounding communities to infectious materials and toxic substances. Unsafe dumping can contaminate soil and water, while uncontrolled burning may release harmful pollutants into the air.

Bruce Gordon, WHO Director a.i. for the Department of Environment, Climate Change, One Health and Migration, described safe health-care waste management as a fundamental part of quality care, infection prevention and protection for workers, communities and the environment. The new course is intended to give facility teams, planners and decision-makers knowledge they can apply within their own health systems.

Around 85% of health-care waste is non-hazardous

When ordinary waste is mixed with infectious, chemical or pharmaceutical materials, a much larger volume may need specialized treatment, increasing costs and placing additional pressure on waste-management systems. Effective segregation can keep these waste streams apart from the moment they are generated. Waste prevention and responsible recycling can further reduce the amount requiring treatment or disposal, helping facilities use resources more efficiently while limiting environmental harm.

The course is designed for a broad audience, including health-facility staff and managers, health-care waste workers, environmental health professionals, health planners, policymakers and technical partners. That wide focus reflects the reality that safe waste management cannot be left to waste workers alone.

Health facilities need systems in which everyone understands what happens to waste after it leaves a treatment room, laboratory or pharmacy. WHO and UNICEF's new training programme offers a practical starting point for building that understanding, particularly in settings where limited resources, infrastructure gaps or insufficient training continue to make safe disposal difficult.