The Department of Anthropology at the University of Hyderabad is proud to announce its participation in a pioneering international project aimed at addressing the environmental and health impacts of single-use plastics in healthcare. The “After the Single Use” project, funded by the Wellcome Trust with a £5.9 million Discovery Award, brings together a global team of researchers from eight countries to explore the cultural, social, and environmental dimensions of medical plastics and promote circular healthcare economies.

Led by Dr. Nanda Kishore Kannuri, Associate Professor in the Department of Anthropology, University of Hyderabad will receive a grant of £422,608 (approximately INR 5,00,29,264) over a five-year period to contribute to this significant initiative. The project will examine the historical, local, and global factors that have shaped the current healthcare waste crisis, analyze the life cycles of disposable medical technologies, and collaborate with policymakers, activists, engineers, and designers to develop sustainable solutions.

Dr. Nanda Kishore Kannuri

“This collaboration represents a significant opportunity for the University of Hyderabad to contribute to a global initiative at the intersection of anthropology, environmental sustainability, and healthcare,” said Dr. Nanda Kishore Kannuri. “We look forward to working with our international partners to develop innovative solutions that can be applied in diverse healthcare settings.”

The “After the Single Use” project involves a global team of collaborators from the University of Edinburgh (UK), University of New South Wales (Australia), University of Geneva (Switzerland), University of Oslo (Norway), National Institute of Medical Research (Tanzania), CRCF (Senegal), PNG Institute of Medical Research (Papua New Guinea), and Johns Hopkins University (USA), as well as key NGO partners Health Care Without Harm and the Norwegian Bioart Arena.


About the Project:

After the Single Use aims to establish a new field of critical humanities, art, and social science research on medical plastics and circular healthcare economies. The project runs with collaborative hubs in Edinburgh and partner institutions worldwide.

After the Single Use will explore how a culture of disposability became normalised in healthcare systems, and the environmental, social, and health impacts of single-use medical products. The research team will employ ethnographic, archival, and arts-based methods to:

  • Examine historical, local, and global factors that have shaped the current healthcare waste crisis.
  • Analyse the lifecycles of disposable medical technologies and their environmental and social consequences.
  • Collaborate with policymakers, activists, engineers, and designers to develop circular healthcare solutions.

The project will investigate diverse healthcare settings, from aid posts in Papua New Guinea to hospitals in the USA and India, studying global interconnections in healthcare waste, such as syringes manufactured in India being used in Senegal, and local solutions to reduce reliance on single-use plastics.

For the University of Hyderabad, this collaboration represents a significant opportunity to contribute to a global initiative at the intersection of anthropology, environmental sustainability, and healthcare. The collaboration agreement marks a milestone in fostering international academic partnerships that tackle urgent global challenges, advancing the university’s mission of research excellence, social impact, and achieving Sustainable Development Goals.

For more information, please contact:

Dr. Nanda Kishore Kannuri, Associate Professor, Department of Anthropology,

University of Hyderabad

mail to: nandukannuri@uohyd.ac.in