Here’s how to handle the threat from COVID19-infected medical waste

Even in normal times, medical waste is one of the most hazardous types of waste, and its proper disposal is both a challenge and a necessity.

Thanks to Covid-19 that hazard level has skyrocketed, as has the volume of waste that’s piling up around Asia. But the capacity to deal with it is, in many countries, woefully inadequate.

The Asian Development Bank has launched a region-wide campaign to tackle some of these issues with knowledge, expertise and funds.

Waste Management Specialist Steve Peters talks here about some of the issues and potential solutions to the problem.

Watch now:

Additional resources:

-The ADB has established this data room of resources to help tackle the problem.

-This short brief provides governments with essential information to support their efforts to manage an increase in infectious medical waste.

-Five ways to improve medical waste disposal in the fight against COVID-19 and other epidemics.

-ADB staff and expert blog reports on Covid-19 are regularly updated here.

-The UN Basel Convention’s Technical Guidelines on the Environmentally Sound Management of Biomedical and Healthcare Wastes.

-Basel Convention’s Regional Centre for Asia and the Pacific lists a series of guidance documents and best practices.