| Titre : | Balancing speed and sustainability : Humanitarian perspectives on the role of Emergency Health Kits in medical waste generation |
| Auteurs : | Safa Gouglou ; Ecole des hautes études en santé publique (EHESP) (Rennes, FRA) |
| Type de document : | Mémoire |
| Année de publication : | 2025 |
| Description : | 51p. |
| Langues: | Anglais |
| Classement : | MPH/ (Mémoires MPH à partir de 2024) |
| Mots-clés : | Action humanitaire ; Médecine humanitaire ; Déchet médical ; Logistique ; Enquête qualitative |
| Résumé : |
Background: Standardized Emergency Health Kits (EHKs), such as the WHO Interagency Emergency Health Kit, are central to humanitarian health responses, enabling rapid access to essential medicines and supplies. However, their standardized composition and rigid procurement systems may contribute to medical waste (through unused items, packaging, and expired products) raising environmental, ethical, and logistical concerns.
Objective: This study examined humanitarian actors’ perceptions of how EHKs contribute to medical waste in emergency contexts, focusing on kit composition, utilization, and related logistical practices. Methods: A qualitative approach was adopted, using semi-structured interviews and written questionnaires with 16 humanitarian professionals, including pharmacists, physicians, nurses, logisticians, and WASH experts. Participants were purposively selected for their direct experience with EHKs in acute emergencies. Data were analyzed thematically following Braun and Clarke’s framework. Results: Five themes emerged: (1) Adaptability and structural limits, kits provide an essential baseline but often require supplementation and may contain items systematically unused; (2) Logistical and organizational constraints, storage challenges, weak stock management tools, turnover, and unclear responsibilities increase waste risks; (3) Medical waste management and perceptions, practices vary widely, with limited resources, traceability, and integration into operational priorities; (4) Prioritization in emergencies, waste management is deprioritized in favor of rapid care delivery; and (5) Areas for improvement, greater coordination, flexible resupply, better training, and digital tracking were recommended. Waste was often seen as inevitable, yet its scale and impact were underestimated and under-documented. Conclusion: EHKs remain indispensable for rapid health interventions, but their current design and deployment can unintentionally generate avoidable waste. Integrating waste prevention and management into kit design, procurement, and operations is essential. |
| Diplôme : | Master MPH of public health |
| Plan de classement simplifié : | Master of Public Health - master international de Santé Publique (MPH) |
| En ligne : | https://documentation.ehesp.fr/memoires/2025/mph/safa_gouglou.pdf |
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