New Delhi, October 27, 2026: India is accelerating efforts to remove mercury-containing medical thermometers and blood-pressure monitors from healthcare services by 2030, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in a news release dated October 22. The work includes replacing equipment, improving procurement of reliable alternatives and strengthening systems for the safe handling and disposal of mercury waste.
States making progress
WHO reported that 14 states had completed inventories and assessments of mercury-based medical devices, while 12 states had issued phase-out orders. Delhi, Punjab, Manipur, Sikkim, Goa, Haryana, Ladakh, Chandigarh and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands had eliminated the use of mercury-based medical devices in public health services, according to the agency.
Training and waste management
A technical mission involving India’s health and environment ministries, WHO, the United Nations Environment Programme and other partners met in New Delhi from September 28 to 30 to review progress and build capacity. Thirty state-nominated nodal officers received training on occupational safety and systems for segregating, collecting, storing, transporting and disposing of mercury waste. WHO said these systems are expected to be established through health-environment department collaboration by late 2027.
Why the transition matters
Mercury can harm human health and contaminate the environment if devices break or are disposed of improperly. The transition requires not only replacing equipment with validated mercury-free alternatives but also managing legacy devices and waste safely. WHO says sustained cooperation among governments, hospitals, manufacturers and technical partners will be important to meet the 2030 goal.
Source: WHO India — “Push to eliminate mercury-based devices in health care,” October 22, 2026.
State progress figures are those reported by WHO on October 22, not a newly issued state-by-state status bulletin.
