DOH partners with UNDP to improve medical waste management

MANILA, Philippines — To improve medical waste management following the COVID-19 pandemic, the Department of Health (DOH) said it would collaborate with China and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

On Friday, the UNDP turned over the project “Learning Experience to Improve the Ability of Response to COVID-19 in Asia and the Pacific” to the DOH and other government agencies. The said project aims to improve the COVID-19 response in terms of waste management.

“The project will facilitate the provision of technical support and training of healthcare professionals on healthcare management. Several [pieces of equipment], which will be distributed to hospitals and facilities, have been donated to the Philippine government,” the DOH said in a Facebook post.

Present in the turnover ceremony was DOH Officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire, Chinese Embassy Minister Yang Guoliang, UNDP representative Edwin Carrie, Pasig City Vice Mayor Robert Vincent Jaworski, as well as officials from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

“As we continue to progress towards a post-COVID society, the importance placed on healthcare waste management must be maintained. Hence, it is in our best interest to scale up the establishment of a healthcare waste management process and continue building up on the progress this project has achieved,” said Vergeire.

COVID-19 has posed a challenge to healthcare institutions, as medical waste disposal has added risks, such as infection.

The World Health Organization has reported that improper medical waste management has led to medical syringes on seafloors and the streets.

In January 2022, seven kids were reported to have gotten COVID-19 after playing with medical waste in Catanduanes.

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