• A WHO report points out that over 140 million test kits with a potential to generate 2,600 tonnes of non-infectious waste have been shipped.
• Over 8 billion doses of vaccine have been administered globally producing 144,000 tonnes of additional waste in the form of syringes, needles and safety boxes.
Image: WHO
The World Health Organisation has urged countries to reduce medical waste.
The increased medical waste is due to the Covid-19 pandemic that has put tremendous strain on health care waste management systems globally.
This has exposed a dire need to improve waste management practices.
“Personal protective waste is important in preventing health workers from getting infected... The unnecessary use of such equipment like hair and foot coverings has led to avoidable waste.
A mountain of extra non-essential personal protective equipment created by Covid testing, treatment and vaccination make up nearly half of the volume of waste which equals 38,000 tonnes globally,” WHO says.
A WHO report points out that over 140 million test kits with a potential to generate 2,600 tonnes of non-infectious waste (mainly plastic) and 731,000 litres of chemical waste (equivalent to one–third of an Olympic size swimming pool) have been shipped.
Over 8 billion doses of vaccine have been administered globally, producing 144,000 tonnes of additional waste in the form of syringes, needles and safety boxes.
As the United Nations and countries grappled with the immediate task of securing and quality-assuring supplies of PPE, less attention and resources were devoted to the safe and sustainable management of Covid-19 related health care waste.
“It is vital to provide health workers with the right PPE, but it is also vital to ensure that it can be used safely without impacting on the surrounding environment," WHO Health Emergencies Programme Executive Director Dr Michael Ryan said.
According to WHO, today, 60% of healthcare facilities in developing countries are not equipped to handle existing waste, let alone the additional Covid-19 load.
This potentially exposes health workers to needle stick injuries, burns and pathogenic microorganisms while also impacting communities living near poorly managed landfills and waste disposal sites through contaminated air from burning waste, poor water quality or disease-carrying pests.
The WHO report lays out a set of recommendations for integrating better, safer and more environmentally sustainable waste practices into the current Covid-19 response and highlight stories from countries and organizations that have put into practice in the spirit of “building back better”.
Recommendations include using eco-friendly packaging and shipping, safe and reusable PPE, recyclable or biodegradable materials; investment in non-burn waste treatment technologies, such as autoclaves; reverse logistics to support centralized treatment and investments in the recycling sector to ensure materials like plastics can have a second life.
A systematic change in how healthcare manages its waste would include greater and systematic scrutiny and better procurement practices. Health investments must consider environmental and climate implications and a greater awareness of co-benefits of action.
To be resilient, green and minimize waste, health systems and facilities must follow the waste management hierarchy, which is Prevention, Re-use, Recycling and Disposal.