Environment

Program Spares U.S. Landfills While Sharing With Countries in Need

Supplies rescued from U.S. landfills are used in developing countries. photo credit: MediSend International

"We are so wasteful in the U.S. In other countries, every bandage and pair of gloves is guarded closely. Now I am aware of every medical supply I use."

The medical students who travel to clinics and hospitals with Child Family Health International (CFHI) are eager to experience health care in developing countries. By participating in CFHI's RECOVER program, which recycles U.S. medical equipment and supplies for distribution to populations in need, they are also helping to preserve the environment.

Every year, the U.S. healthcare system discards $6.25 billion worth of medical supplies and equipment, according to MediSend International. Equipment may be disposed of when a hospital closes, and usable suppplies are often discarded because of damaged packaging or a lapsed expiration date. CFHI established the RECOVER program in 1995 to make use of this waste.

The organization salvages reusable medical equipment and supplies and distributes them to partner hospitals, clinics and non-governmental organizations at program sites. This enables partner organizations to expand the scope and quality of their services by supplying them with materials they could not afford with their own limited resources.

During 2001, students transported approximately $75,000 worth of medical supply donations to Ecuador, India and Mexico. In years past, supplies have also gone to Ukraine, Bosnia, Russia and Africa.

CHFI collaborated with another BAIDO member organization, Volunteers for Inter-American Development Assistance, to send a large freight shipment to Ecuador in November 2001. Clinical partners there received more than $325,000 worth of supplies.

Participation in the RECOVER program has also given students an appreciation for what they can easily take for granted in the United States. One volunteer noted, "We are so wasteful in the U.S. In other countries, every bandage and pair of gloves is guarded closely. Now I am aware of every medical supply I use."

CFHI is a San Francisco-based organization that supports long-term sustainable health-care projects and conducts educational programs in international health for medical students. For more information, please contact Betsy Fuller Matambanadzo, Program Coordinator, at betsy@cfhi.org or (415) 863-4900.