Dushanbe, 02 February, 2021 – United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in cooperation with the Ministry of health and social protection of the population (MHSPP) has provided medical waste treatment materials to 12 hospitals in Dushanbe and Districts of Republican Subordination and Dushanbe to support front-line health workers in safe handling and disposal of infectious waste to reduce COVID-19 impact on the environment and public health.
Total of 20,000 bio-hazard waste collection bags, 1,000 safety boxes, 400 household gloves, 200 re-usable aprons and 100 special labeled containers have been distributed among healthcare workers, including 400 women nurses and waste handlers, to ensure secure disposal of infectious and hazardous waste and facilitate improved medical waste management practices at the hospital level.
UNDP’s effective medical waste management project aims to tackle the issue of unprecedented increase in medical and hazardous waste caused by the pandemic. Lack of available medical waste management technologies and equipment that meet environmental performance standards, particularly the capability to control air emissions, puts wider community at risk both through infections and environmental effect.
The distribution of the medical waste management materials among healthcare facilities in Dushanbe, Varzob, Rudaki, Gissar, Shahrinav, Tursun-zade, Faizobod and Vakhdat will enable improved infection control, support safety measures and reduce the risks of emergence of other disease.
The funding for the supplies is a part of the UNDP efforts to COVID-19 response in Tajikistan and is in line with country’s COVID-19 preparedness and response efforts aimed at reducing the potential impacts of the pandemic on population at risk in Tajikistan.
