Management of Medical Waste in Developing Countries: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Background: Health care activities can generate different kinds of hazardous waste. Ma­nagement of hospital health care waste (HCW) especially in developing countries is still a big challenge. Medical waste can result in environmental and occupational health risk. This study aimed to review systematically the management of medical waste in de­ve­loping countries. Subjects and Method: This was a systematic review conducted according to the PRISMA model. This review was conducted by searching published articles from 2014 to 2019 from da­tabases including Proquest and Scopus. The inclusion criteria were Eng­­lish dan open ac­cess. Results: Hospital medical waste management in developing countries was poor. It in­creased the risk of spreading infections such as HCV, HBV, and HIV. Poor management of hospital medical waste was affected by lack of an effective waste management plan, lack of resources, lack of budget, lack of facilities, and poor hospital staff awareness. Bud­get, facility, staff, surveillance, and audits were essential to ensure safe and appro­pri­ate hospital waste management practices. Conclusion: Poor management of hospital medical waste is affected by lack of an effec­tive waste management plan, lack of resources, lack of budget, lack of facilities, and poor hospital staff awareness. Keywords: hospital, medical waste, management, developing country.