The National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) has intensified sensitisation of relevant government and private stakeholders to the need for proper disposal of COVID-19 waste.
Mr Abubakar Aliyu, the agency’s Adamawa State Coordinator, said that on Monday in Yola that the aim of the sensitisation was to impact more knowledge.
WHO confirms 6 cases of Ebola in DRC
“It is for various organisations handling COVID-19 and it is on how to manage the waste, according to international standards.’’
He said the waste from a highly-contagious disease such as COVID-19, if not properly handled, could pose a great health danger for humans, animals and plants.
“Medical waste generated from the treatment of highly-contagious diseases such as COVID-19 can only be managed in accordance with international best practices.
“Such practices include segregation of hazardous wastes from those that are non-hazardous.
“That means all materials, including Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), used for the purpose of treatment of COVID-19 are considered an infectious waste which needs high level of proper disposal,’’ Aliyu said.
He further stated that COVID-19 waste should be properly packaged for transport to treatment facilities.
“Each containerised infectious waste must be securely closed and protected from human animals and environment.’’
The NESREA official said the agency was doing all it could to contain the environmental impacts of viral spread from the disposal of the medical waste and contaminated articles.
He cautioned all authorities handling and managing the COVID-19 treatment to adhere to regulations and involve waste management professional bodies in waste disposal.
Aliyu said the agency had met with officials from the state’s COVID-19 Containment Committee, ministries of Health and Environment, among others, for proper action.(NAN)
Leave a Comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.