Diagnostic waste: whose responsibility?

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Diagnostic waste from single-use tests, especially in low- and middle-income countries, presents significant health and environmental hazards. Despite growing access to diagnostics, waste management is often neglected, leaving already strained health systems to handle toxic, infectious, and plastic waste without proper infrastructure or regulation. The burden of disposal should not rest solely on national governments. Manufacturers must be held accountable for the full lifecycle of their products, including safe disposal. Waste considerations must be integrated into diagnostic design and policy, with investment in sustainable materials and infrastructure. Without this shift, diagnostic expansion risks deepening environmental harm and public health vulnerabilities.

Full citation

Street, Alice, Eva Vernooij, and Mohamed Hashim Rogers. ‘Diagnostic Waste: Whose Responsibility?’ Globalization and Health 18, no. 1 (12 March 2022): 30. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12992-022-00823-7.