Resources

This report quantifies the additional healthcare waste generated as a result of COVID-19, describes current healthcare waste management systems and their deficiencies, and summarizes emerging best practices and solutions to reduce the impact of waste on human and environmental health.

The WASH FIT assessment form is now available in Excel. This new version is part of the updated WASH FIT package, due to be released in February 2022. This version includes automatic WASH FIT scores, calculation of JMP service ladders and an in-built risk assessment and improvement planning template. This version was uploaded on 17th January 2022.

The COVID-19 Waste Management Sourcebook has been developed to supplement the existing DOH Health Care Waste Management Manual 4th Edition in view of the COVID-19 pandemic. This Sourcebook incorporates the Philippine policy issuances and guidelines developed in response to COVID-19 as well as relevant international standards.

This WHO report, with special contributions from UNDP, the Global Fund, Health Care Without Harm, and the International Solid Waste Association, details how COVID-19 has forced the world to reckon with the gaps and neglected aspects of the waste stream and how we produce, use and discard of our health care resources, from cradle to grave.

WASH PRESS focuses on providing technical solutions to meet the water, sanitation and hygiene needs of health facilities during health emergency and disaster preparedness activities or in resource-constrained contexts. The document is the result of a systematic review of numerous technical guidelines, practices and tools from the World Health Organization and other relevant institutions and universities in the sector. In a single tool, it combines the minimum standards and indicators to be met with technical solutions to achieve them, with an emphasis on what needs to be done (algorithms), how to do it (factsheets) and how much is needed (calculation tools). By publishing this document, the Pan American Health Organization aims to facilitate decision-making by those responsible for health facilities and for the planning and implementation of water, sanitation and hygiene measures, as well as immediate and timely action by health and auxiliary staff and, in general, by professionals in the sector. This publication complements the guidance provided in the WASH FIT Health Facility Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Improvement Toolkit, developed by the World Health Organization and the United Nations Children's Fund in 2018.

Healthcare associated infections (HAI) are estimated to affect up to 15% of hospital inpatients in low-income countries (LICs). A critical but often neglected aspect of HAI prevention is basic environmental hygiene, particularly surface cleaning and linen management. TEACH CLEAN is an educational intervention aimed at improving environmental hygiene. The authors evaluated the effectiveness of this intervention in a pilot study in three high-volume maternity and newborn units in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

A discussion on hand hygiene in healthcare facilities, focused on approaches for sustainability, from the Community of Practice launch on October 19, 2021. Slides from the session in English are available here and recordings are posted below:

A commentary describing waste management practices as a result of COVID-19 in the Eastern Mediterranean Region.

We developed a self-guided toolkit for costing water, sanitation, hygiene, environmental cleaning, and healthcare waste management in HCFs in low– and middle-income countries. The toolkit is divided into modules with instructions, worksheets, templates, and tips for success for users to complete the costing process. This toolkit will guide users through planning, collecting, and disseminating data on costs. It is designed for use by diverse stakeholders involved in funding, implementation, and management of EHS in HCFs. This is the companion spreadsheet for the toolkit. The toolkit itself is uploaded a separate resource.

This policy brief describes the structure and functionality of a toolkit for costing water, sanitation, hygiene, environmental cleaning, and healthcare waste management in HCFs in low– and middle-income countries. The toolkit is divided into modules with instructions, worksheets, templates, and tips for success for users to complete the costing process. This toolkit will guide users through planning, collecting, and disseminating data on costs. It is designed for use by diverse stakeholders involved in funding, implementation, and management of EHS in HCFs. No prior costing experience is needed. The toolkit itself is uploaded a separate resource.