The World Health Organization (WHO) warned that the large amount of medical waste product used to combat the COVID-19 pandemic posed a great human and environmental health risk.
More so, WHO said that tens of thousands of tons of medical waste had put a huge strain on the healthcare waste management systems. The United Nations health agency added that the extra waste is threatening health and exposing a dire need for the improvement of waste management practices.
Used protective gear for medical staff are seen in a trash at a COVID-19 coronavirus screening centre on the outskirts of Srinagar on May 8, 2020.
Medical Waste Management During COVID-19 Pandemic
WHO said that discarded syringes, used test kits, vaccine bottles from the COVID-19 pandemic have piled up and threatened to infect others because they were exposed to the virus. Alarabiya News reported that those who live close to poorly managed landfills where medical waste products were dumped could also contaminate the air and water.
An estimated 87,000 tons of personal protective equipment were ordered via a UN portal until November 2021 that is believed to have also ended up as waste. Also, around 140 million test kits are estimated to have weighed 2,600 tons of plastic waste and can fill one-third of an Olympic swimming pool.
Furthermore, approximately 97% of plastic waste from test kits was burned, while the first 8 billion COVID-19 vaccine doses administered accumulated a total of 144,000 tons of waste including syringes, needles, and safety boxes. Although WHO does not recommend using gloves in vaccine injections, they were among the largest PPE waste of all items UN procured suggesting it is a common practice.
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Improving Proper Waste Management System
According to Phys.org, the 71-page report of WHO has warned that safe medical waste management services that were lacking even before COVID-19 have received added pressure during the pandemic.
The report pointed out that in 2019, three healthcare facilities from different parts of the world failed to safely manage their medical waste. Additionally, 46 least-developed countries and around two or three healthcare facilities did not have even the basic medical waste management system.
WHO said that this exposes healthcare workers to needle stick injuries, pathogens, burns, and also adversely affects communities that are near poorly-managed dumpsites through contaminated air and water. The international health agency calls for improved medical waste management.
For instance, WHO recommends using PPE more rationally, developing reusable PPE, using less packaging, using PPE made from biodegradable materials, using locally-made PPEs, centralizing waste management, and investing in non-burn waste treatment technology. WHO noted that addressing environmental concerns does not necessarily compromise health and safety.
Safe Waste Management During COVID-19 Pandemic
Even during the early days of the pandemic, WHO was already concerned about the environmental impacts of the pandemic. In a webinar in 2020, WHO officials met with health officials to address concerns of safe medical waste management.
In Indonesia, the country's Ministry of Environment and Forestry (MoEF) and the Ministry of Health discussed the current policies and national protocols on water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) as well as for the improvement of tools in facilities used in waste management.
Some of their solutions include operating incinerators, capacity building of provinces, and procuring materials or tools that will reduce the accumulation of medical waste from COVID-19 healthcare activities. These efforts highlight the importance of reliable and safe waste management for all provinces to protect public health and prevent the spread of the virus.
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