By Milcah Tanimu
Lecturers from various universities have raised concerns about poor healthcare waste management in Nigeria. They highlighted the lack of knowledge among healthcare workers, insufficient data, and low public awareness. The experts gathered on Friday at the University of Medical Sciences in Ondo State to discuss the issue.
The event was themed “Legal, Policy, and Implementation Issues in Healthcare Waste Management.” It was organized by the Faculty of Health Law and Humanities, in collaboration with the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health.
Professor Adesegun Fatusi, the Vice Chancellor, welcomed the participants. He emphasized the need for healthcare professionals to collaborate on improving waste management practices. He mentioned that UNIMED has developed guidelines for its campuses and suggested they be adopted nationwide.
The experts recommended that state governments create policies, regulations, and statutes to encourage best practices. They also urged the Federal and State governments to allocate specific funds for healthcare waste management. Expanding the environmental health workforce was also recommended to ensure effective implementation.
Professor Leroy Edozien, Dean of the Faculty of Health Law and Humanities, called for proactive government action. He emphasized the importance of training healthcare workers on proper waste management. Healthcare waste, he noted, poses serious risks to health workers, the public, and the environment. He urged stakeholders to take urgent action.
The meeting stressed the need for better policies, increased public awareness, and enhanced collaboration to tackle healthcare waste management in Nigeria.
