environnement-arcencielen

Potentially Infectious Healthcare Waste (PIHCW)

Needs

Before 2003, PIHCW (Potentially Infectious Healthcare Waste) of health facilities in Lebanon were untreated or inadequately treated and thus were a danger to the environment and public health. Hospitals are required to treat their HHCW (hazardous healthcare waste) by decree 13389 and the accreditation system; however, there was no system to facilitate the implementation of decree 13389. In addition, incineration became prohibited since the signing at the Stockholm Convention in 2001. The financial difficulties of hospitals do not allow them to invest in individual treatment systems which comply with Ministry of Health and Environment norms.

Services

• the training of facility staff in the management of HHCW to ensure safety and reduce the quantities produced through efficient sorting 
• the collection and treatment of PIHCW by autoclaving, associated with crushing, in 5 centers which cover all Lebanese territory
• consultancy for hazardous health care waste ( HHCW) management activities
• awareness campaigns for the general public and schools

Projects

• National network of infectious medical waste management, together with UE

  Reducing the risk related to untreated or badly treated infectious waste throughout Lebanon, in the interest of protecting public health and the environment. Project finished, continuous activities Health care centers staff are trained to HCW management, a network for the collection and treatment of Infectious Helath Care Waste is created in Beirut and Mont Lebanon Region: Beirut and Mont Lebanon Donor: UE Date: 2005/2009

• Management of infectious medical waste in Southern Lebanon, with AECID

  Reducing the risk related to untreated or badly treated infectious waste throughout Lebanon, in the interest of protecting public health and the environment. Project finished, continuous activities Health care centers staff is trained to HCW management, a network for the collection and treatment of Infectious Health Care Waste is created in South Lebanon Donor: AECID Date: 2008/2011 Region: South Lebanon

• Ebaloration of a guide for Health Care Waste Management , in collaboration with Agence Française pour le Développment

  Providing guidance on health care waste management for hospitals A guide on health care waste management has been edited and is available for hospitals Donor: AFD (Agence Francaise pour le Développement) Date : 2012/2014 All regions Finished

• Project DéHo / with LIFE

  

  Thanks to a partnership with LIFE (The European Financial Instrument) and AECID (Spanish Agency of International Cooperation for Development), a national network for the collection and treatment of potentially infectious healthcare waste (PIHCW) was established.

  The Deho project’s objective is to nullify the risks linked to poorly or non treated infectious waste in Lebanon in order to preserve the environment and public health.

  
  
  key results

  • more than 7,000 people from staff at healthcare facilities have been trained in the management of HHCW with the aim of ensuring their safety and reduce the quantities produced through efficient sorting.
  • a PIHCW network for the collection and treatment of medical waste covering all regions of Lebanon was established, It has 5 centers: 
    • The Rayak center (2003), serves the Bekaa area
    • The Hôtel Dieu de France center (2005), serves the Beirut area
    • The Mount Lebanon center LIFE (2006), serves the Beirut area and Mount Lebanon
    • The Zgharta center, AECID (2007), serves the North
    • The Saida center, AECID (2009), serves the South
  • more than 6.5 tons of medical waste are collected every day in hospitals and sterilized by autoclaving in treatment centers.
  • a partnership was established with the Nursing school at the University of St. Joseph for the creation of training modules at treatment facilities. And also for the integration of a specialized course on PIHCW in the curriculum of nursing and the development of an internal audit system for treatment facilities.
  • awareness training campaigns were conducted in schools and for the general public
  • environmentally friendly processing solutions and alternatives to incineration for other types of hospital waste are sought out by the entity's Environmental Research and Development Program, in collaboration with leading Lebanese and foreign universities and laboratories.
  • a preposition for the amendment of decree 13389 was submitted to the Ministry of the Environment

• Establishment project of a PIHCW treatment system in Syria / with AECID, AIDA (phase 1 and 2)

  

  Following the solicitation of arcenciel by health professionals in Syria, and through a partnership with the AECID (Spanish Agency of International Cooperation for Development) and AIDA (Ayuda, Intercambio y Desarrollo), a "Support of the health program reform in Syria pertaining to the management of potentially infectious healthcare waste " project has been implemented. This project aims at fighting environmental degradation through the managerial support of hospital waste in Syria by acting on two levels: improving the management of healthcare waste (HCW) in Syrian hospitals by training and equipping, as well as suggesting a project to build a national medical waste treatment network.
  
  key results

  • the assessment of the overall situation and needs in terms of the management of PIHCW
  • development of a certification text concerning waste management
  • visits, training and the equipment of hospitals, trained and equipped in the management of HCW
  • Development of manuals for HHCW management
  • Proposal for a course on the management of HCW in the nursing curriculum
  • Development of a plan for the establishment of a national network of medical waste management
  • organization of seminars and conferences
  • creation of a team of expert trainers of the management PIHCW at the national level
  • Capacity building and technical management of local NGOs

• HCW management in Palestinian hospitals in Lebanon / with ECHA and RC

  

  As part of the project "Support to the secondary health care system of the Palestinian Red Crescent Corporation in Lebanon" funded by the European Commission of Humanitarian Aid, and Red Crescent Netherlands, the following activities were carried out through five Palestinians hospitals in Lebanon:

  • the Assessment of needs in terms of HCW management
  • the training of nursing staff for administrative and maintenance staff
  • Equipment for the management of HCW
  • monitoring the management of HCW
  • Treatment of PIHCW