Thirteen countries in Latin America and the Caribbean are taking significant steps to strengthen their capacity for safe and sustainable medical waste management. Supported by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and funded by the Government of Canada, the initiative aims to improve the handling and disposal of hazardous materials such as syringes, laboratory waste, biological products, and electronic components. The program focuses on building a regional network of public health officials trained in medical waste management while helping countries modernize laws, upgrade infrastructure, and establish environmentally sound waste disposal systems.
Improper medical waste management remains a major public health and environmental threat in the region, with around 70% of hospital waste inadequately handled. This issue became more critical during the COVID-19 pandemic when medical waste increased dramatically. According to PAHO’s regional advisor Luis Francisco Sánchez Otero, the program has already helped countries make tangible progress in developing and implementing national disposal strategies.
Five countries — Costa Rica, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, and Panama — have completed national medical waste strategies, while training programs for health professionals in Bolivia, Costa Rica, and El Salvador have been rolled out. Bolivia also received technical support from PAHO to revise its outdated 20-year-old waste management law. These efforts are improving waste tracking, storage, and final disposal processes to safeguard both people and the environment.
As part of the regional collaboration, PAHO organized a three-day fact-finding mission in Medellín, Colombia, bringing together 21 health professionals from 13 countries to exchange best practices. Participants visited healthcare facilities to observe how hospitals like the Pablo Tobón Uribe Hospital separate, weigh, and record different types of waste using automated data systems that help identify inefficiencies.
Delegates from countries such as El Salvador and Jamaica emphasized the value of learning from others’ experiences and adapting solutions to their local contexts. The workshop also underscored the need to strengthen regulatory frameworks, particularly in Caribbean island nations where waste management poses unique logistical challenges.
Through these joint efforts, participating countries — including the Bahamas, Belize, Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Jamaica, Paraguay, and Peru — are working toward a safer and more sustainable regional health system. The initiative demonstrates how regional cooperation, technical expertise, and targeted investments can help transform medical waste management and reduce health and environmental risks across the Americas.
