Inapt management of menstrual hygiene waste (MHW): An urgent global environmental and public health challenge in developed and developing countries. Issue 7 (July 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Anand, Uttpal; Vithanage, Meththika; Rajapaksha, Anushka Upamali; Dey, Abhijit; Varjani, Sunita; Bontempi, Elza
• Is Part Of: Heliyon. Volume 8:Issue 7(2022)
• Publication Date: 2022-07
• Subjects: Menstrual hygiene waste (MHW) -- Waste management -- Environmental pollution -- COVID-19 -- Human health -- Sustainable development goals (SDGs); Research -- Periodicals; Medical sciences -- Periodicals; Natural history -- Periodicals; Social sciences -- Periodicals; Earth sciences -- Periodicals; Physical sciences -- Periodicals; 507.2
• DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e09859
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2405-8440

Abstract

Abstract: Menstrual hygiene waste management has received lack of attention and hence it has been poorly investigated, mainly due to its association to social and cultural aspects of a natural process, that is often surrounded of entrenched stigma and taboos. Therefore, data about quantities and full lifecycle of the generated waste are often not available or suffer of large incertitude. However, this argument represents a relevant and critical issue, not only for the health of the women, their equality, and dignity, but also possible associated environmental concerns. This work highlights the necessity and the urgency to face the problems associated with menstrual hygiene waste, which cannot be still considered only relegated to low-income countries. It gives the dimension of the waste associated to migrants in the incoming areas, which is often neglected in sanitation program implementation. This work also describes the existing knowledge gaps and suggests some actions to implement in the next future. In the pandemic context, menstrual hygiene needs urgent attention, also to understand the possible implication of this waste, generated for example in refugees' camps, in SARS-CoV-2 spread, and to prevent eventual unknown environmental issues connected with the reconvention of some factories from the production of menstrual hygiene products to facemasks manufacture. Graphical abstract: Image 1 Highlights: Menstrual hygiene waste represents an underestimated environmental problem. It is critical not only for women's health and dignity, but also for the environment. It cannot be still consider a problem relegated only to low-income countries. The menstrual hygiene waste generated from migrants is considered for the first time. Dedicated actions are proposed to solve knowledge gaps in this field. Abstract : Menstrual hygiene waste (MHW); Waste management, Environmental pollution; COVID-19; Human health; Sustainable development goals (SDGs).