Mr. Mahesh Nakarmi, a leading international expert in health, environment, and emergency medicine, is the founding Chairman and Executive Director of Health Environment and Climate Action Foundation (HECAF 360), which is creating a clean, green, climate-smart health care system in Nepal. Nakarmi pioneered a model safe health care waste management by the use of autoclaves to disinfect health care waste—a smart solution to the disposal of infectious waste into municipal dumps across Nepal. His system also reduces waste through the promotion of recycling. Mr. Nakarmi has established a Scientific Diagnostic Waste Assessment Methodology. Under his leadership, the HECAF360 Team has conducted more than 150 assessments at the hospitals, schools, and institutions in Nepal.
Nakarmi is a pioneer in the adaptation of the Zero Waste model for hospitals, schools, and nunneries in Nepal. His work around menstrual hygiene grew out of these projects. His model now includes a component on the safe and environmentally preferable disposal of menstrual hygiene waste.
Mr. Nakarmi was awarded The Eco-Business Asia-Pacific Sustainability Leadership A-List for 2023, presented by Singapore-based Eco-Business – Asia Pacific’s largest media and business intelligence organization, which acknowledges influential individuals driving United Nations sustainability goals in the region.