Table 1.

The inclusion and exclusion criteria for this study

Items	Inclusion criteria	Exclusion criteria
Topics	Individual, system and policy-level factors affecting the health of MWHs in LMICs.	Individual, system and policy-level factors affecting the health of medical waste handlers and health risks experienced by MWHs in upper middle and high-income countries.
	Health risks experienced by MWHs.
Types of studies	Studies that apply semistructured and unstructured interviews, focus group discussions, direct observations or semistructured questionnaires which permit free texts.	Protocols, reviews, editorials, letters to editors, commentaries, conference abstract and posters, and opinion pieces.
		Studies that apply mixed methods which lack accounts or quotes of study participants or do not provide accounts/quotes of study participants.
Participants	(1) MWHs of all age groups, including children from 10 years and above; (2) both male and female garbage workers; (3) waste pickers who search medical waste before or after the final disposal; (4) scavengers who search medical wastes before or after the final disposal.	Children below 10 years of age.
		MWHs having severe pre-existing health risks before they became involved in MWM.
Settings	Waste disposal sites, medical research institutes and healthcare facilities, and disposal sites in LMICs.	Upper middle and high-income countries.
Date range	1 July 2011 to 30 June 2021	Published prior to July 2011.
Language	English	Excluded studies published in languages other than English.

LMIC, low and middle-income country; MWH, medical waste handler; MWM, medical waste management.