Ultrasound generates significant environmental impacts, when consumables and equipment life cycles are taken into consideration. Chris Taylor, UK & Ireland Sustainability Lead, at Philips Healthcare, provides an insight into the actions that ultrasound teams can take to help drive improvement.
Climate change is the defining health challenge of the 21st century. The World Health Organization warns that from 2030—2050, climate-related events such as heat stress, malnutrition and infectious disease expansion, could result in an additional 250,000 deaths annually,1 putting extra burden on already stretched healthcare systems, with a predicted 4.2 million premature deaths, globally per year, due to ambient air pollution.2 Healthcare is, paradoxically both the protector of human health and the contributor to this threat, accounting for 4.4% of all global greenhouse gas emissions,3 which is more than shipping or aviation.
Within imaging, CT and MRI have long dominated discussions around energy intensity. However, ultrasound — widely used, portable, and cost-effective — also generates significant environmental impacts, when consumables and equipment life cycles are also considered. More than 1.4 million ultrasound systems are installed globally,4 with tens of millions of scans performed each year. Even if per-scan emissions are relatively modest, the cumulative footprint is substantial.
As the NHS sets out its 10-year health plan focused on prevention, digitalisation, and sustainability, ultrasound offers a unique test case: how can we harness this low-energy modality, while ensuring its supplies, equipment, and data practices are aligned with Net Zero ambitions.
Log in or register FREE to read the rest
This story is Premium Content and is only available to registered users. Please log in at the top of the page to view the full text.
If you don't already have an account, please register with us completely free of charge.
