POLICY AND PRACTICE REVIEWS article
Front. Health Serv.
Sec. Cost and Resource Allocation
Volume 5 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/frhs.2025.1638305
This article is part of the Research TopicPerspectives and Opinions in Health Services, Volume IIView all 15 articles
Medical Equipment in the Global South: Perspective of Sustainability and Donations
Provisionally accepted
Frederik Paustian1
Rasmus Gøl1*
Hannah Wolfe Julsgart1Sofie Bjerre Degn1
Andreas Philip Rosenbom1Anton Aaby Henriksen1Liselotte Højgaard1,2- 1Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
- 2Kobenhavns Universitet, Copenhagen, Denmark
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Disparities in healthcare infrastructure between the Global South and North continue to affect medical equipment availability, functionality, and sustainability in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs). This study combines a systematic literature review with on-site fieldwork in Ugandan hospitals to assess the current state of medical equipment in LMICs and propose actionable strategies for more sustainable donation practices.Following a systematic literature review, 18 articles were analyzed and categorized according to five research questions addressing sustainability metrics, affordability, recycling practices, systemic barriers, and innovations in medical equipment use. Parallel fieldwork conducted by biomedical engineering volunteers in two Ugandan hospitals documented over 1,400 devices and resulted in the repair of 51 items -generating estimated savings of $102,000. Many devices remained unused due to a lack of spare parts and contextual compatibility. A carbon footprint assessment of donated equipment shipment from Denmark to Uganda further underscored the environmental implications of donation programs.Drawing on literature insights and field observations, this paper proposes a set of eight principles to enhance the sustainability and long-term impact of medical equipment donations. Emphasizing context-aware design, training, maintenance, and donor-recipient collaboration, these recommendations aim to shift donation models toward more resilient and responsible healthcare partnerships.
Keywords: medical equipment sustainability, Healthcare and Technology in Developing Countries, hospital infrastructure, medical equipment failure, Medical Equipment longevity, Medical Equipment Donations
Received: 30 Jun 2025; Accepted: 06 Aug 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Paustian, Gøl, Wolfe Julsgart, Degn, Rosenbom, Henriksen and Højgaard. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Rasmus Gøl, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.