Effective Management Practices for COVID-19 related Healthcare Waste

When: 28 April 2021 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM UTC

Where: Online; register here

What: Within a short span of time, the COVID-19 pandemic has engulfed the entire world, affecting more than 206 countries and territories. In the healthcare sector, the caseload of patients surged due to the pandemic, leading to increased production of hazardous healthcare waste for countries with or without adequate medical waste management systems. One year after the declaration of COVID-19 as a global pandemic, challenges posed by COVID-19 related waste still remain.

In the past year, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has supported Member States to manage COVID-19 medical waste in an environmentally sound manner. Through the global webinar series, guidance notes on waste management, rapid needs assessment, and remote technical assistance, UNEP has gained valuable lessons learned from addressing environmental linkages of COVID-19.

Join the Rapid Support on COVID-19 Related Waste Management Technical Assistance Training Series, a series of technical assistance training sessions on the challenges and lessons learned on effective approaches towards managing medical waste:

1. Effective Management Practices for COVID-19 related Healthcare Waste

2. COVID-19 Related Wastes and the Informal Waste Recycling Sector

3. Appropriate Technologies to Address COVID-19 related Healthcare Waste Management

First series session:

Effective Management Practices for COVID-19 related Healthcare Waste: The adverse impacts of the COVID-19 crisis on human and planetary health will come from many sources, including a spike in hazardous waste – such as personal protective equipment, electronics and pharmaceuticals, millions of litres of wastewater and massive use of detergents, disinfectants and antimicrobial solutions, etc. The most immediate challenge facing national and local authorities is how to manage and dispose of the waste produced in hospitals and healthcare facilities handling COVID-19 patients. This training session, aimed at environmental experts, covers the issues to be considered in COVID-19 related health care waste management, and practical approaches to effective health care waste management.

Agenda:

• Welcome
• Moderator: Muralee Thummarukudyil
• Michael Cowing: Factors influencing COVID-19 related healthcare waste management
• Ida Eriksson: COVID-19 environmental risks regarding medical waste: Sudan experience
• BR Ravishankar: Medical waste management - strengthening regulatory framework
• Q&A
• Closing remarks