David Hirsch

Saving lives. Saving the planet.

Bridging the gap between our surplus and the scarcity of others.

MedEarth’s mission is to promote the protection and enhancement of our natural environment through a solid waste reduction program, by repurposing and redistributing medical supplies and equipment discarded by the health care industry.

One billion people live in developing countries on less than US$1 a day; more than 2.6 billion people lack access to basic sanitation facilities; and more than 30,000 children under five-years of age die every day, mainly from dehydration, undernourishment, and preventable diseases. Low- and middle-income countries bear 90% of the world’s disease but compose only 12% of the world’s health expenditures.

One of the main deficiencies in access to healthcare in developing nations is lack of resources. Countries in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia are the most affected.

MedEarth believes that good health care should not be a luxury available only to people in high-income countries. Health care is not only a fundamental human right but also a key pillar of socio-economic development. We are a not-for-profit organisation that saves lives and the environment by recovering usable medical supplies and equipment (that was destined for landfill) and redistributing it as humanitarian aid to developing countries.

Lara Garfinkel and Laura Taitz founded MedEarth in 2013, based on the inspiration provided by MedWish (www.medwish.org) and it’s founder Dr Lee Ponsky. Laura and Lara realised that there was a gap in the medical waste landscape of Australia and that by forming MedEarth they could promote the protection and enhancement of our environment whilst helping to save the lives .