The publication in "The Bulletin of the World Health Organization" marks a new international endorsement for the project, which already involves over 40 hospitals across Spain. The program aims to reduce the environmental impact associated with inhaled medications, integrating sustainability into clinical practice.
Dr. Noé Garin Escrivà, a specialist in the Pharmacy Service at Sant Pau, emphasized that this WHO endorsement validates the team's work since 2023 and helps boost the initiative's international visibility, encouraging more hospitals to join.
GREEN BREATH is a multicenter, multidisciplinary initiative that reviews pharmaceutical prescriptions, engages patients, and improves the management of inhaler waste. It has developed tools to incorporate environmental criteria into therapeutic decision-making, including a database on the carbon footprint of inhalers and a prescription support algorithm.
Previous studies from the project suggest that a transition to alternatives with a lower environmental footprint could prevent between 40,000 and 200,000 tons of CO₂ annually in Spain. A 10% reduction in the use of pressurized metered-dose inhalers could save up to 40,000 tons of CO₂ equivalent each year.
The project has also involved patients in over 40 Spanish hospitals, with interventions led by hospital pharmacists to enhance understanding of the environmental impact of inhalers and promote their proper use and disposal. A specific circuit for managing hospital inhaler waste has been developed to prevent the release of propellant gases.
This WHO recognition joins other awards received by GREEN BREATH, including the European Sustainable Healthcare Award 2025 and the Social Innovation Awards from the General Council of Pharmaceutical Colleges. It has also been honored with the Agenda 2030 Barcelona + Sostenible Awards.
Through these accolades, GREEN BREATH solidifies its trajectory, linking innovation, clinical practice, and environmental sustainability, and demonstrating the transformative and scalable potential of the model developed at Hospital de Sant Pau.
