The World Health Organization (WHO), in collaboration with UNICEF and other partners, has launched a free online course to help health-care facilities improve the safe and sustainable management of health-care waste.

The self-paced course, available through the WHO Academy, provides practical guidance on the complete waste-management process, including waste classification, segregation, storage, transport, treatment and disposal. It also covers waste reduction, recycling, infrastructure planning, and the safe handling of mercury-containing devices and pharmaceutical waste.

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“Safe health-care waste management is fundamental to quality care, infection prevention and control and the protection of health workers, communities and the environment,” said Bruce Gordon, WHO Director a.i., Department of Environment, Climate Change, One Health and Migration. “This course gives health facility teams, planners and decision-makers practical knowledge they can use to improve waste management in their own settings.”

The six-module course includes knowledge checks, a final assessment and a certificate of participation. It is aimed at health-care staff and managers, waste workers, health planners, environmental health professionals, policymakers and technical partners, with no prior knowledge required.

The initiative comes as global gaps in health-care waste management remain significant. WHO and UNICEF estimates indicate that in 2025, only 71% of health-care facilities had basic waste-management services, while 7% had none.

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