The large amount of waste accumulated as part of the efforts to face the COVID-19 pandemic represents a threat to human and environmental health, warned the World Health Organization (WHO).
Medical waste: discarded syringes, used test kits and more…
Discarded syringes, used test kits, and old vaccine vials have accumulated to create tens of thousands of tons of medical waste. Which is putting huge pressure on healthcare waste management systems, the United Nations health agency said in a new report on Tuesday.
The 71-page document says that a large part of the 87,000 tons of personal protective equipment (PPE). Orders through a UN portal between March 2020 and November 2021 ended up as scrap.
In addition, more than 140 million test kits have been shipped, with the potential to generate 2,600 tons of mostly plastic waste. And enough chemicals to fill a third of an Olympic size swimming pool.
The WHO does not recommend wearing gloves for vaccine injections
It was also estimated that some eight billion doses of vaccines administered worldwide produced an additional 144,000 tons of waste in the form of glass vials, syringes, needles and safety boxes.
While the WHO does not recommend wearing gloves for vaccine injections, the report says that appears to be common practice. Citing the UK as an example, he estimated that each healthcare worker disposes of an average of 50 pairs of gloves per week into the general waste system.
“It is absolutely vital to provide healthcare workers with the proper personal protective equipment. But it is also vital to ensure that it can be used safely without affecting the surrounding environment.” said Michael Ryan, WHO emergencies director.
Discarded material poses a potential burn hazard to healthcare workers. They are exposed to needlestick injuries and disease-causing germs. As well as communities near poorly managed landfills, which can be affected by polluted air from burning waste, water quality or disease-carrying pests.
The UN report did not name specific examples.
The report did not name specific examples of where accumulations have occurred, but pointed to challenges such as limited official waste treatment and disposal in rural India. As well as large volumes of fecal sludge from the quarantine facilities in Madagascar.
The UN health body called for further reforms and investment, including through reducing the use of packaging. Using PPE more rationally and investing in unburned waste treatment technology.
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