GH Shares Environmental Best Practices across the Globe

The Bureau for Global Health (GH) environmental program has been on the road this summer participating in various environmental compliance and environmentally sound design and management (ESDM) workshops hosted by the Africa, Asia, and Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) Bureaus. Acting GH Bureau Environmental Officer (BEO), Dennis Durbin, and Global Environmental Management Support (GEMS II) staff attended compliance and ESDM workshops in Mozambique, Kazakhstan, and Guatemala to present on key issues in healthcare waste management, water and sanitation, and Zika. Such workshops provide unique learning and collaboration opportunities for both Washington-based and field staff, including information-sharing on challenges and successes.
 
At each of these workshops, GH had the opportunity to present on timely technical issues relating to health-related projects, as requested by each of the respective regional bureaus. The GH presentations contributed to the broader workshop goals of ensuring attendees’ understanding of the environmental requirements for USAID projects, per Title 22 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 216 (22 CFR 216). In both Maputo, Mozambique, and Almaty, Kazakhstan, GH discussed best practices for healthcare waste management, while addressing the limitations that often exist in remote locations.
 
In Guatemala, Dennis Durbin and GEMS II staff presented on technical issues related to USAID Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) and Zika activities to LAC Bureau staff, as well as regional Implementing Partners. The WASH presentation highlighted both the challenges and potential health and environmental impacts associated with the implementation of water supply systems and sanitation infrastructures, as well as approaches to selecting mitigation measures and monitoring activities for WASH projects. The Zika presentation profiled the GH environmental compliance review and field inspection process as applied during site visits to various Zika project locations throughout the LAC region.

Beyond technical information sharing, these workshops enabled discussions regarding some of the difficulties experienced with the implementation of centrally-managed projects around the world. These discussions have since prompted further collaboration among GH and the regional bureaus to ensure project success and sustainability, including GH participation in a panel discussion on healthcare waste management via teleconference with the Madagascar Mission and local Implementing Partners. For more information on GH resources related to healthcare waste management, vector control, and other environmental management topics, please visit the GH Environmental Management Portal. For links to presentations and resources from trainings supported by GEMS II staff, please visit the USAID GEMS training website.