Europe

Home page

Europe

Tens of thousands of tonnes of Covid waste threatening health and environment, warns WHO

01 February 2022 11:48 (UTC +04:00)

Tens of thousands of tonnes of medical waste created by the Covid pandemic is threatening human health and the environment, a World Health Organization report has found, APA reports citing The Guardian.

The material - including discarded syringes, used test kits and old vaccine bottles - could expose health workers to burns, needle-stick injuries and germs, the report found, and some of it could still be infectious.

Reuters reports that communities close to poorly-managed landfills could also be impacted by contaminated air from burning waste, poor water quality or disease-carrying pests, according to the findings.

An estimated 87,000 tonnes of PPE - the equivalent of the weight of several hundred blue whales - was ordered on a UN portal before November 2021, with most of it believed to have become waste.

It called for reform and investment including in cutting plastic waste.

Hi, I’m looking after the global Covid blog for the next few hours. Please get in touch with any tips or suggestions: [email protected]