Health technologies : Safe injection : Health care waste management

Kenya health care waste management resources

This web page is intended to serve as a resource for organizations working to improve health care waste management (HCWM) in Kenya and to support stronger integration into new and existing health programs. PATH has gathered all the available resources, many of which were developed as part of the Making Medical Injections Safer project (funded by the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief [PEPFAR]) in collaboration with the Government of Kenya. Included in these resources are some essential pieces of information on national injection safety policies and guidelines, HCWM system planning and decision-making, and training and behavior change communication (BCC):

National Policy and Planning

National Policy on Injection Safety and Medical Waste Management
Kenya Ministry of Health, 2007
The aim of this document is to guide health professionals and stakeholders to provide safe injections and proper waste management in order to protect health care providers and the community from medical sharps injuries.

National Standards and Guidelines on Injection Safety and Medical Waste Management
Kenya Ministry of Health, 2006
The overall objective of the standards and guidelines is to ensure safe injection practices and proper management of related medical waste. Adherence to these guidelines will minimize risks arising from unsafe injections and improper handling of medical waste.
Download/view file in English (198 KB PDF).

Guidelines for Implementing a National Procurement Policy to Integrate Safe-Injection Equipment
Making Medical Injections Safer, 2010
This document identifies key steps and information relevant to the development and implementation of a national procurement policy on safe-injection equipment. The intention is to increase patient and health worker safety, and especially to avoid medical transmission of bloodborne infections such as HIV, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C.

Guiding Principles for Managing Medical Waste
PATH, 2005
This document provides a brief overview of key considerations for developing a medical waste management plan at the facility, district, and national levels.

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District- and facility-level policy and planning

HCWM Facility Planning Tool
Making Medical Injections Safer, 2007
This tool was developed to support health facility efforts to assess HCWM practices and plan for improvements including safer handling and disposal and ensuring adequate stock of HCWM supplies.
Download/view file in English (114 KB PDF).

Technical

The Incinerator Guidebook: A Practical Guide for Selecting, Purchasing, Installing, Operating, and Maintaining Small-Scale Incinerators in Low-Resource Settings
Making Medical Injections Safer, March 2010
This guidebook captures lessons learned by PATH over the course of the Making Medical Injections Safer project, in both Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and USAID countries, on selecting, procuring, and installing a small-scale incinerator for health care waste management.

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Advocacy

Health Care Waste Management: Sharing the Responsibility
PATH and John Snow, Inc. (JSI), 2009
PATH and JSI developed these brief talking points on HCWM to support advocacy efforts in order to raise awareness about why HCWM is important and how programs can improve current practices.

Helping PEPFAR Partners Manage Health Care Waste: Practical Approaches and Lessons Learning From Uganda and Nigeria
PATH, 2009
Under the Making Medical Injections Safer project, PATH has supported ministries of health and environment to develop the systems needed for effective health care waste management. This paper describes the process, tools, and strategies used to successfully engage PEPFAR partners in Uganda and Nigeria to improve health care waste management.

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Training and BCC

Incinerator Operator Manual
Kenya Ministry of Health, 2009
This manual was developed as part of the Making Medical Injections Safer Project. It includes critical information on how to safely and effectively operate and maintain a small-scale incinerator. It stresses best practices to ensure the safety of operators, other personnel, and the community at large, and to minimize emissions from the incinerator that are harmful to the environment. This manual is useful for health facility managers and supervisors of HCWM and may be used as a training resource.
Download/view file in English (769 KB PDF).

Incinerator Operator Guidelines
PATH, 2009
This job aid was developed to support training of small-scale incinerator operators and summarizes safe and effective operation. Key steps are outlined, including preheating and optimal loading instructions. By following these steps, incinerator operators can help ensure the unit operates optimally, reaching desired temperatures and ensuring waste is safely treated.

Incinerator Maintenance Checklist
PATH, 2009
This job aid was developed to support training of small-scale incinerator operators and provides key message about how to perform regular maintenance. Regular maintenance is critical to ensuring the incinerator functions optimally for the projected life of the unit.

Standard Operating Procedures for Handling and Disposal of Health Care Waste
Making Medical Injections Safer, 2009
This document outlines the key steps to ensure safe handling and disposal of health care waste. It is specifically designed for facilities using small-scale incinerators for final treatment and disposal.
Download/view file in English (254 KB PDF).

Kenya Segregation Chart- 3 Categories of HCW
Making Medical Injections Safer, 2007
The training aid has been adapted for Kenya from PATH’s Training Health Workers in the Management of Sharps Waste. It includes a graphical representation of the segregation of medical waste into three categories: non-infectious, infectious, and sharps.
Download/view file in English (410 KB PDF).

Kenya Segregation Chart- 4 Categories of HCW
Making Medical Injections Safer, 2007
The training aid has been adapted for Kenya from PATH’s Training Health Workers in the Management of Sharps Waste. It includes a graphical representation of the segregation of medical waste into four categories: non-infectious, infectious, highly-infectious, and sharps.
Download/view file in English (433 KB PDF).

Personal Protective Equipment for Waste Handlers and Incinerator Operators
PATH, 2006
This training aid was developed as part of Training Health Workers in the Management of Sharps Waste. The aid includes a graphic representation of the key equipment needed to help protect waste handlers and incinerator operators during the collection, treatment, and final disposal of health care waste.

Participants Handbook: Injection Safety in the Context of Infection Prevention and Control
Kenya Ministry of Health and Making Medical Injections Safer, October 2006
This handbook was adapted for Kenya from the Making Medical Injections Safer “Do No Harm” training materials. It is intended to be used with the “Do No Harm” facilitator’s guide.
Download/view file in English (3695 KB PDF).

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Global Resources on HCWM

For more resources on HCWM, visit PATH’s Global HCWM resource page.

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Acknowledgments

PATH’s HCWM work in Kenya is supported by the five-year project—Support for the Establishment and Sustainability of Medical Waste Management Systems in the Republic of Kenya under the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), Cooperative Agreement Number U2GPS002984 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The contents of this resource page are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of CDC. Partners on the project include ET Log Health and others.

PATH’s global work in the area of health care waste management has previously been supported by the US Agency for International Development through funding under the HealthTech Program, PEPFAR under the Making Medical Injections Safer Project, and others.

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