A field visit to Mbeubeuss reveals the scale, labour and risks shaping Dakar’s only dumpsite and the presence of biomedical waste in everyday waste streams.

Anne Kveim Lie presented new research on the history of the disposable glove at the History of Science Society Annual Meeting 2024.

Danielle Farrow reflects on CleanMed Europe 2025 explores the unresolved tensions shaping sustainable healthcare: how we balance patient outcomes, budgets, and planetary health, and who carries the burden of driving change. Read the full piece on why confronting these trade-offs is essential for reimagining healthcare’s future.

Reflections on the 2025 European Association for the History of Medicine and Health conference, where project members organised a panel and launched two new books, Bruno J. Strasser introduced The Mask: A History of Breathing Bad Air and Anne Kveim Lie and Jeremy Greene launched Medicine on a Larger Scale: Global Histories of Social Medicine.

Can hospitals reduce their dependence on disposable plastics? Bruno Strasser contributes to a discussion on the history, risks, and trade-offs behind medical throwaway culture.