Safe and environmentally sound management of medical waste is an integral part of the global healthcare system. The goal of treating patients must not come at the expense of community health or environmental safety. Medical waste includes all waste generated by healthcare facilities, laboratories, and research centers, requiring a strict management strategy to prevent the spread of epidemics and pollution. Classification of Medical Waste According to the World Health Organization ($WHO$), healthcare waste is classified into several main categories to ensure proper handling of each type: • General (Non-hazardous) Waste: Constitutes about 85% of total healthcare waste, including paper, plastic, and food scraps. It is treated as municipal waste. • Infectious Waste: Contains pathogens (bacteria, viruses) such as blood-contaminated cotton, swabs, and laboratory cultures. • Sharps: Includes needles, scalpels, and broken glass. They pose a dual risk of mechanical injury and infection transmission. • Chemical and Pharmaceutical Waste: Expired medicines, laboratory reagents, and disinfectants. • Radioactive Waste: Generated from nuclear medicine and oncology departments. Steps of Safe Medical Waste Management Effective management relies on a chain of integrated steps starting from the point of generation to final disposal: 1. Segregation at Source: The most critical step. Waste is sorted immediately upon generation into internationally color-coded bags and containers (e.g., Yellow for infectious waste, Red/Yellow biohazard boxes for sharps, and Black for general waste). 2. Collection and Internal Transport: Moving waste within the facility using dedicated, closed trolleys, ensuring different categories are never mixed. 3. Temporary Storage: Storing waste in a secure, enclosed site within the facility, designed to prevent rodent access or odor emission, for a duration not exceeding 24 to 48 hours depending on ambient temperature. 4. Treatment and Final Disposal: Globally approved technologies include:  Autoclaving (Moist Heat Sterilization): Using steam under pressure to decontaminate infectious waste and sharps before landfilling.  Controlled Incineration: Burning hazardous and pharmaceutical waste at extremely high temperatures (exceeding $1000^\circ\text{C}$) equipped with gas-cleaning filters to prevent air pollution. Environmental and Health Impact The absence of proper management threatens medical staff and waste handlers with needle-stick injuries that transmit serious diseases like Hepatitis B and C ($HBV, HCV$) and $HIV$. Environmentally, open or substandard burning leads to the emission of toxic gases like dioxins and furans, and the leaching of chemicals into groundwater.
  الهدف الثالث من اهداف التنمية المستدامة -الصحة الجيدة والرفاه