Canada boosts medical waste management in the Maldives

The Government of Canada has made a donation in support of the Maldivian government’s efforts to boost medical waste management. In collaboration with the World Health Organisation (WHO), the Canadian government has approved the project worth 1.35 million Canadian Dollars. The project, titled ‘Disinfections of Medical Waste’ will support the government’s efforts to strengthen medical waste management nationwide as well as aid the country’s efforts to combat the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. 40 autoclaves will be procured to enhance the sanitization and medical waste management across health centres of 10 more atolls, alongside atolls where the facilities have already been established. The service is expected to encourage environmentally sustainable ways to dispose of medical waste. This will also address the policy on how waste management currently impacts climate change and the environment and aims to bring an end to the practice of burning medical waste, which in turn minimizes impacts on the environment.