Emma Farge and Manojna Fardipatla

GENEVA, (Reuters) – Discarded syringes and used test kits from the COVID-19 Pandemic have accumulated to form tens of thousand of tonnes of medical debris, threatening the environment and human health, according to a World Health Organization report on Tuesday.

According to the report, some of this material could potentially be infective since coronavirus is capable of living on surfaces. This can expose health workers and others to needlestick injuries, burns, and other disease-causing germs.

Poorly managed landfills may also cause problems for communities, such as contaminated water, disease-carrying pests and poor air quality.

It calls for investment and reform, such as reducing plastic use and using protective gear that is made from recyclable and reusable materials.

According to estimates, 87,000 tonnes worth of personal protective gear (PPE) were ordered through a U.N. portal between Nov. 2021 and November 2021. The majority of these items are thought to have been discarded.

Report also mentions 140 million test kit that have the potential to produce 2,600 tonnes mostly in plastic and enough chemical trash to fill an Olympic swimming pool.

Additionally, the study estimates that approximately 8 billion doses of vaccines worldwide have created an additional 144,000 tons of waste, in the form glass vials as well as syringes and needles.

While the WHO report didn’t name any specific instances of the worst buildups, it did mention challenges like the insufficient waste treatment and disposal in India rural area as well large amounts of faecal slime from Madagascar quarantine centers.

The WHO stated that around one-third of all healthcare facilities had not been equipped to deal with existing waste loads before the pandemic. The WHO stated that the figure could reach as high as 60% for poor countries.