CEBU, Philippines - In line with the implementation of the government’s measles vaccination program, environmental-health group Health Care Without Harm—Southeast Asia (HCWH—SEA) and Department of Health (DOH) introduced alternatives to treat and dispose wastes generated during the campaign.
This is to ensure the proper waste management and disposal of syringes and other materials that will be used in the month-long activities this month of April.
HCWH and DOH together, with the World Health Organization (WHO) led the monitoring and documentation of proper waste management and disposal during the Philippine Measles Eradication Campaign (PMEC) in 2004.
In the same year, DOH conducted a vaccination program which targeted 18 million children and collected 19.5 million syringes or 130,000 kilos of wastes.
There are also additional 72,000 kilograms of non-hazardous wastes gathered during the year. This non-hazardous waste includes empty vials and ampoules, syringe wrappers, empty vitamin capsules, cotton swabs, syringe caps and packaging.
To address the problem, DOH suggested the collection of syringe in a 5-liter safety box with its treatment, using alternative technologies such as autoclave or microwave facilities. This facility has the capacity to burn and kill microbes in waste and disposal by encasing it in a concrete septic vault or by burying it in a waste pits.
HCWH program officer, Faye Ferer said the alternatives are available in some parts of the country. She added local government engineers could also help in constructing the waste burial pits where the syringes used in vaccination program will be disposed.
Moreover, Ferer said there is an estimated more than 200,000 kilos of medical wastes that will be treated using these technologies.
HCWH-SEA together with the Alternative Budget Initiative is proposing to DOH to include the amount of P100 million in their 2012 budget for the purchase of waste treatment technology under the Health Facility Enhancement Program. — (FREEMAN)