Towards development of green standards to accredit sustainable supply of medical devices

Abstract

Given the urgency of climate change, it is time to think about new adaptation and mitigation strategies. Thus, it is imperative for medical technology industries and stakeholders working in health sector to align themselves with sustainable development objectives. So, at all stages, from conception to decommissioning, practices around medical devices produced in large quantities each year should be sustainable to contribute minimizing their probable impact on global warming. This study aims to guide accreditation prospects towards the development of green standards for all practices around medical devices. Between May to August 2025, a survey was conducted among biomedical technicians, clinical engineers, and hygienists in sub-Saharan Africa. 113 opinions on non-sustainable aspects of medical devices were collected. A unit score is assigned to each choice. The cumulative scores allow them to be ranked in order of priority. 45% of opinions relate to the development of an obsolescence management certification that will sanction the disposal by incineration or landfill of certain medical devices and their storage after decommissioning. 39% of opinions relate to the choice of energy used for the production and transportation of medical devices, from producing countries to consuming countries. Only 16% of opinions refer to the mode of use. The latter includes overuse, which reduces the lifespan of medical devices and boosts their renewal, on the one hand. On the other hand, single-use increases consumption and production of waste. The challenge of accreditation is to implement sustainable practices around medical devices to obtain sustainable solutions to healthcare issues. A sustainable approach includes green source energy for production, environmentally clean transportation, ecological medical technology using biodegradable and recyclable materials.