It has been estimated by WHO that 16 billion injections are administered worldwide, but not all the needles and syringes are properly disposed of afterwards. The waste generated by health-care activities, about 85% is general, non-hazardous waste, while 15% is considered hazardous material that may be infectious, toxic, or radioactive (WHO 2015). In most African countries, there are no adequate systems in place for the safe disposal of health care waste such as incineration and landfills. Medical waste is defined as any waste that is generated as a by-product of healthcare work at doctors surgeries, dentists, hospitals, and laboratories even from home based care. This includes any material that could encounter the body during diagnosis, research, drug administration or any type of treatment.
Major sources of health-care waste are:
- Hospitals and other health facilities
- Laboratories and research centres
- Mortuary and autopsy centres
- Animal research and testing laboratories
- Blood banks and collection services
- Nursing homes for the elderly
Medical waste most hazardous
Types of waste
- Infectious waste: waste contaminated with blood and other bodily fluids (swabs, bandages and disposable medical devices).
- Pathological waste: human tissues, organs or fluids, body parts and contaminated animal carcasses.
- Sharps waste: syringes, needles, disposable scalpels and blades, etc.
- Chemical waste: solvents and reagents used for laboratory preparations, disinfectants, sterilants and heavy metals contained in medical devices (mercury in broken thermometers) and batteries.
- Pharmaceutical waste: expired, unused and contaminated drugs and vaccines.
In European countries medical waste is governed by local, state and federal guidelines for handling, storage, and ultimate disposal. These guidelines involve many organizations, training, equipment, and procedures to ensure that medical waste follows compliance. The problems happen when any of these steps are missed, allowing the waste to enter into the environment where it can become potentially hazardous. Improper disposal of untreated health care waste can lead to the contamination of drinking, surface, and ground waters if the landfills are not properly constructed.
