(Morning Post) The World Health Organization pointed out that countries have produced thousands of tons of additional medical waste in response to the popularity of coronary viruses in 2019, which brings tremendous pressure on the medical waste management system and threatened humans and the environment.Health and expose urgent need to improve waste management practices.
The United Nations News Center reported on February 1 that a latest report from the World Health Organization estimated that the personal protection equipment purchased from March 2020 to November 2021 was about 87,000 tons. These equipment passed through the United NationsJoint emergency proposal to be transported to various countries to deal with the epidemic.Most of these devices are expected to eventually become waste.This preliminary assessment does not take into account any goods purchased outside the initiative.
Data show that more than 140 million testing kits that have been shipped may produce 2600 tons of non -infectious waste (mainly plastic) and 731,000 chemical waste (equivalent to a three -pointer of a standard swimming pool of the Olympic GamesOne), at the same time, the world has been vaccinated with more than 8 billion doses, which produces additional waste such as 144,000 tons of syringes, needles and safety boxes.
Michael Ryan, director of the Executive Director of WHO Michael Ryan, pointed out: "It is absolutely important to provide correct personal protection equipment for health workers.It is necessary to ensure that it can be used safely without affecting the surrounding environment. "
This means to establish an effective management system, including guiding health workers how to handle personal protective supplies and health products after use.
Today, 30%of medical institutions (60%in the least developed countries) do not have the ability to deal with existing waste, let alone an additional epidemic load.This may cause sanitary workers to face the threat of acupuncture, burns, and pathogenic microorganisms. At the same time, air pollution, poor water quality or pests with diseases caused by waste burning will affect the waste landfills of poor management and poor management.Community near the waste treatment field.
Maria Neira, the Secretary for Health, said, said: "From the global level to every hospital, we managed a major change in the way of managing medical waste."
A series of suggestions on the report include the use of ecological friendly packaging and transportation, safe and reusable personal protective equipment (such as gloves and medical masks), recyclable or biodegradable materials; investmentFor non -combustible waste treatment techniques, such as high -voltage sterilizers; support for centralized processing reverse logistics and investing in the recycling department to ensure that plastic and other materials can get regeneration.
