Sustainable Health Waste Disposal in Uganda: Navigating Environmental Challenges During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Uganda's healthcare system, like many in Sub-Saharan Africa, already struggled with waste management before the pandemic. With only 40% of generated waste safely managed in urban areas like Kampala, the additional burden of COVID-19 medical waste created a perfect storm of environmental and public health challenges. The pandemic brought several critical issues to the surface: Increased Volume of Medical Waste: Personal protective equipment, disposable masks, gloves, and testing materials dramatically increased the volume of potentially infectious waste. The World Health Organization estimated that globally, approximately 87,000 tonnes of PPE were procured between March 2020 and November 2021, most of which ended up as waste. Limited Treatment Capacity: Even before COVID-19, 30% of healthcare facilities globally lacked adequate waste handling infrastructure, with this figure rising to 60% in least developed countries. Uganda's existing healthcare waste treatment facilities were quickly overwhelmed by the additional COVID-19-related waste.