On December 8, 2023, Mr. Bikash Pandey, Acting Director of Pollution Reduction Project, Director of Clean Energy Program, Winrock International, and the team of Winrock’s Collective Impact Program visited and worked at the Center for Health Environment Research and Development (CHERAD) office during a series of visits to core organizations of the Pollution Reduction Project funded by USAID through Winrock.

At the meeting, Associate Professor. Dr. Nguyen Huy Nga, Director of CHERAD, and CHERAD Center staff discussed with the working group about the progress of implementing the “Developing a Circular Economy Model in Medical Plastic Waste Management” Initiative implemented by CHERAD within the framework of the Reducing Pollution Project. In 2023, the Initiative has completed the model framework for sustainable management of medical plastic waste and successfully signed a Memorandum of Cooperation Agreement with Can Tho Central General Hospital, Uong Bi Vietnam-Sweden Hospital and Phu Tho General Hospital to pilot the model, and plan activities in the following years.

Speaking at the discussion session, Mr. Bikash Pandey congratulated the results the Initiative has achieved, highly appreciating the Initiative’s potential and ideas in solving one of the important problems that are currently widely unknown. Mr. Pandey also emphasized the importance of successfully piloting the Initiative model in hospitals, including both public and private hospitals, to create a premise for replicating the model of sustainable management of medical plastic waste nationwide, contributing to reducing plastic waste pollution, protecting the environment and public health.

Quang Huy