Medical waste and HIV

Medical waste and HIV

Recycling of medical waste risks HIV transmission.

Medical waste can be hazardous to healthcare workers and the general public if it is not disposed of safely and appropriately. If waste is not managed properly, there can be an increased risk of needlestick injuries. This problem is most prominent in developing countries where efforts to stop medical waste being sorted and repackaged for future sale are essential if the transmission of HIV is to be prevented.

Dhaka, Bangladesh, has particularly suffered from the lack of management for medical waste. A study in 2005 found an estimated 200 tons of waste came from Dhaka's 600 healthcare establishments per day. It found that of the 60 of 68 establishments surveyed 22.6 percent of the daily waste was hazardous.¹³⁰ Further to this very few establishments separated their waste into hazardous or non-hazardous waste to be disposed of separately and items such as needles, syringes, blood bags, and body parts were routinely disposed of as domestic waste.

Throughout developing countries the growing market for used needles and syringes has entrenched a process of recycling needles and syringes into communities.¹³¹ This process involves sorting through rubbish sites to collect medical waste and is often carried out by children. These needles and syringes are then repackaged and sold. In India a batch of rinsed syringes collected in this way can be sold for up to 10 rupees or 14 pence.¹³²

The transmission of HIV among injecting drug users is a major route of transmission in many countries as a result of sharing needles and syringes. The need for harm reduction services such as needle and syringe exchanges prevents the sharing of equipment and limits the improper disposal of hazardous waste.

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Conclusion

Boys collecting used needles and syringes on a rubbish site

The parallel between blood safety and HIV cannot be overlooked. This route of transmission should be the easiest to combat, especially with the development of new technologies aiding health workers to practice safely. Using a new needle and syringe every time not only saves lives but is also far more cost-effective in the long-term, when considering the life-time medical costs associated with HIV treatment and care.^{133 134}

Ending the use of unsafe blood and reuse of medical equipment requires an holistic approach, which should not only target healthcare workers, but also those who profit from the recycling of needles and syringes and those who profit from the collection and use of unsafe blood.

Countries who do not observe World Health Organisation recommendations must increase efforts to overcome the obstacles they face in the effort to make blood products and healthcare settings safe from HIV