1. Addressing Sustainability Challenges in Medical Device Donations
WHO 4th Global Forum on Medical Devices
15 December, 2018
Vikas Meka

2. A discussion paper from experts involved in medical device donations
Authors:
Bruce Compton, Catholic Health Association of the United States
David M. Barash, GE Foundation
Jennifer Farrington, Becton Dickinson and Company
Cynthia Hall, ExxonMobil
Dale Herzog, UPS Foundation
Vikas Meka, US Agency for International Development (former)
Ellen Rafferty, Becton Dickinson and Company
Katherine Taylor, University of Notre Dame
Asha Varghese, GE Foundation
National Academy of Sciences convened experts from academia, private industry, public and NGOs involved in medical equipment donations to identify key barriers for high-quality donations and to offer recommendations

3. Disclaimer
The views expressed in the discussion paper are those of the authors and not necessarily of the authors’ organizations, the National Academy of Medicine, or the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (the National Academies). Conflicts of interest: None disclosed.

4. Several barriers prevent successful donations
Mismatch between the types of equipment that are needed and those that are received
Keeping a donation in use depends on whether the recipient’s setting can sustain the long-term operations and cost of the device
Health systems have no established process or funding for disposal
Donors and other stakeholders have limited access to information about global donations

5. The medical device donation ecosystem is complex

6. Existing guidance and approaches have helped address some of the challenges
Guidelines, Checklists, Frameworks
Medical Device Company Donation Programs
Needs Assessments
Technical Support
Equipment and Infrastructure Upgrade
Biomedical Technician Training and Capacity Building
Guides to inform donors of best practices, helping them overcome established challenges when donating medical equipment to LICs
Empowering recipients in decision making process

7. Direction forward requires research to address knowledge gaps
Evaluation of the efficacy and impact of guidance for donors and recipients at a global, country, and organizational level
Collection of data on the effects of donations on recipients at all levels of the healthcare delivery
Country specific information on medical device donations
Information on the global supply and demand of medical device donations

8. Acknowledgements
Virginia Amman, EJ Ashbourne, Adriana Berumen Velazquez, Kim Bush, Brenda Colatrella, Doug Fountain, Richard Guerrant, Trevor Gunn, Ben Hoffman, Reza Jafari, Andrew Jones, Wade Jones, Justin Koester, Robert Malkin, Ogechi Nwodim, and Lori Warrens for the valuable contributions to the development of the paper.
Rachel Taylor and Priyanka Nalamada for the support they provided in developing the paper.

9. You can help with our current efforts
Investigating whether resource-service hubs can improve medical device donations and ultimately strengthen the health system
Exploring solutions that increase standardization of medical devices for recipients, and bring transparency to the flow of donations and their impact on health
Increasing accreditation of organizations that procure and supply medical devices to ensure donations are high quality
Participate in a survey to help us better understand the challenges in the procurement, distribution, and use of medical devices and equipment.
Contact: Vikas Meka