Egypt to Establish Four Medical Waste Disposal Sites by August

Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, Egypt’s Minister of Health and Population, met with John Nkengasong, Director of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), on Monday to enhance collaboration in preventive medicine and public health, while also supporting long-term investments in Egypt’s healthcare infrastructure.

During the meeting, Dr. Abdel Ghaffar praised the Africa CDC’s significant contributions to the Ministry, particularly in providing vehicles for the disposal of hazardous medical waste, shredding and sterilization equipment, refrigerated transport for vaccines and serums, as well as vehicles for vaccination teams and rapid response units.

Dr. Hossam Abdel Ghaffar, spokesperson for the Ministry of Health and Population, noted that the discussions focused on ongoing collaborative projects and future work plans, emphasizing the need for essential medical supplies and equipment to support the preventive healthcare system.

The plan includes establishing four sites for the safe disposal of medical waste in Cairo, Assiut, Sohag, and Aswan by August. Additionally, specialized training programs will be implemented to enhance the skills of preventive health teams. These programs will focus on training healthcare personnel in supply chain management and vaccinations while ensuring that staff in health directorates across provinces are equipped to handle medical waste safely and sustainably.

Attendees at the meeting included Dr. Amr Qandil, Deputy Minister of Health and Population; Dr. Radi Hamad, Head of Preventive Medicine Sector; and Dr. Natalia Winder Rossi, UNICEF Representative in Egypt.