Biomedical Waste Management in Developing Countries
There is an urgent need for governments to enact laws and provide adequate facilities for treatment of hazardous and biomedical wastes in order to reduce associated health and environmental risks.
Abstract
With increasing populations in most African and developing countries, there is a parallel expansion of medical and laboratory services to meet demand. But waste management has received little attention despite the potential environmental hazard and public health risk. For example, in Botswana with an estimated population of 1.4 million, the projected biological and medical wastes is estimated at 11000kg/day by the year 2004 from the current 8000 kg/day. Accordingly, if proper disposal methods are not implemented, there will be an accompanying risk to community health and environmental pollution. Consequently, there is an urgent need for governments to enact laws and provide adequate facilities for treatment of hazardous and biomedical wastes in order to reduce associated health and environmental risks. There is also a need for human resource training in waste management of biohazardous wastes.