Manila, Philippines – The Philippines through the Department of Health (DOH) received support in improving the health waste management system in the country through the assistance of the Government of China and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

The DOH, in coordination with the National Task Force Against COVID-19, other line agencies, and concerned Local Government Units (LGUs) said that the effort to improve the healthcare waste management of the country’s COVID-19 response will protect Filipinos from the risks and hazards of exposure to rising healthcare wastes.

“In these trying times, we recognize the power of sharing - not just of technologies, but more importantly of knowledge and insights, especially from the Government of China and UNDP who have demonstrated success on this crucial agenda. Our current COVID-19 response is very vital but we also have to recognize and address its repercussions, especially with our environment. For example, medical waste has significantly increased with the regular use of essential protective equipment by our health workers. Implementing innovative initiatives to address this growing concern should be brought to the table, said Health Secretary Francisco Duque III.

The UNDP, which has started working on exemplifying best practices in health care waste management since 2009, will lead the initiative in coordination with the DOH and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

“In Asia and the Pacific, the continuous rapid spread of COVID-19 virus is putting pressure on countries’ health systems as they hit capacity limits earlier than those in developed countries. As we gradually transition from health emergency response to recovery, the issue of medical waste management, especially infectious medical waste, remains one of the most critical challenges towards a better health system and green recovery in the developing regions. This is UNDP’s first partnership in the Philippines with the Government of China. And with this regional initiative, we are hopeful to improve the Philippines’ response to COVID-19 in the areas of medical waste management and preparedness effectively by way of providing medical resources and capacity building to our health care institutions,” said UNDP Philippine Resident Representative Selva Ramachandran.

In April 2020, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) estimated that in Metro Manila alone, around 280 tons per day of additional medical wastes will be generated. Acknowledging this challenge and the urgency to respond to this issue, the DOH and the DENR released an updated Health Care Waste Management Manual, issuing various guidelines regarding medical waste handling, transportation, treatment, and disposal, as well as conducting capacity building on medical waste management to health care staff and working closely with stakeholders on policy implementation.

“This Regional Project funded under the South-South Cooperation Assistance Fund of the Government of China exemplifies China’s firmness in sharing its experience to help the Asia-Pacific Region cope with the Covid-19 pandemic. The implementation of this project in the Philippines will pivot on improving the Philippines’ ability of medical waste management by equipping some hospitals with advanced medical waste treatment facilities and training resources. China and the Philippines are close neighbors sharing time-honored bonds of kinship and friendship. We hope that under the joint efforts of China and UNDP, this project will help the Philippines tackle challenges, tide over difficulties, and win the fight against the pandemic at an earlier date,” said Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian.

Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto acknowledged during the launch that the city currently does not have the capacity to treat medical waste especially the infectious ones that have been accumulated over the past months due to pandemic. Pasig City runs several public hospitals in which one of them has been converted to COVID-19 Referral Facility.

As part of the project, mobile autoclaves will be set up in two public hospitals or quarantine facilities. Corresponding equipment and operation training sessions will be provided to both medical and non-medical hospital staff. In addition, medical waste characterization, a management study, and the development of a long-term resilience plan will support the Philippine Government in crafting strategic interventions based on evidence.

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