ISWA was represented at the seventeenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Basel Convention (BC COP-17), held in Geneva from 28 April to 9 May 2025. Carlos Silva Filho, ISWA Past President and Slobodanka Pavlovic, Vice Chair of ISWA’s Working Group on Healthcare Waste, were both present and active at multiple panel sessions and side events.
“It was an honor to speak at the BRSCOPs2025 side event on pharmaceuticals in the environment, organised by UN Environment Programme , World Health Organization, and the Geneva Environment Network, under the vital theme of the One Health Approach.
As part of a powerful panel, I shared insights on “Technologies for Pharmaceutical Waste Management – Theory vs. Practice”. We cannot address the growing impact of pharmaceuticals on health and the environment without bridging the gap between available solutions and real-world implementation. The urgency for scalable, sustainable waste management and technologies has never been greater.
In line with this year’s BRS COP motto, “Make VISIBLE the INVISIBLE”, we tried to highlight how the environmental and health risks of pharmaceutical pollution are often overlooked. Sometimes the most dangerous things are invisible! This is just the beginning of a much-needed global collaboration.”
