By Manojna Maddipatla and Emma Farge
GENEVA (Reuters) – Used syringes and test kits and vaccine vials discarded during the Covid-19 pandemic have piled up to create tens of thousands of tons of medical waste, threatening human health and the environment, a report from World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday.
The material, some of which can be infectious as the coronavirus can survive on surfaces, potentially exposes healthcare workers to burns, needlestick injuries and disease-causing germs, according to the report.
Communities near poorly managed landfills can also be affected by contaminated air from burning waste, poor water quality or disease-carrying pests, he added.
The report calls for reform and investment, including through reducing the use of packaging that has caused a plastic rush and using protective gear made from reusable and recyclable materials.
An estimated 87,000 tonnes of personal protective equipment (PPE), or the equivalent of the weight of several hundred blue whales, were ordered through a United Nations (UN) portal by November 2021 – a most must have ended up in the trash.
The report also mentions about 140 million test kits with the potential to generate 2,600 tons of mostly plastic waste and enough chemical waste to fill a third of an Olympic-sized swimming pool.
Furthermore, an estimated 8 billion doses of vaccines administered globally produced an additional 144,000 tonnes of waste in the form of glass vials, syringes, needles and safety boxes.
The WHO report did not cite specific examples of where the most notorious accumulations occurred, but referred to challenges such as limited official waste treatment and disposal in rural India, as well as large volumes of faecal sludge from quarantine facilities in Madagascar.
(Reporting by Manojna Maddipatla in Bengaluru and Emma Farge in Geneva)
know more
+ SP: Man dies standing, leaning against car, and scene scares residents on the coast
+ One twin became vegan, the other ate meat. Check the result
+ Reincarnation in history: an age-old belief
+ Andressa Urach asks for money on the internet: ‘Help me pay my card bill’
+ Horoscope: check today’s forecast for your sign
+ CNH: see what you need to know for the application and renewal
+ See which were the most stolen cars in SP in 2021
+ Expedition identifies giant squid responsible for ship sinking in 2011
+ Everything you need to know before buying a crockpot
+ US Agency warns: never wash raw chicken meat
+ What is known about fluorone?
+ Trick to squeeze lemons becomes a craze on social media
+ IPVA 2022 SP: see how to consult and pay the tax
#Volumes #hospital #waste #generated #Covid #threaten #health