Training Youth on Safe Disposal of Hazardous Waste          

Medical waste refers to waste products produced from health care premises such as hospitals, clinics and dental practices amongst others. Poor management of medical waste potentially exposes health care workers, waste handlers, patients and the community to infection, and risks of polluting the environment. It is essential that all medical waste materials are segregated at the point of generation, appropriately treated and disposed of safely. In Egypt, many health care premises don’t practice safety measures in the collection and the disposal of the medical waste. The project helps solving a major hazardous and environmental problem faced by different local communities. The project aims to address the above mentioned health and environmental risks through “Youth Awareness & Training” on safe disposal of hazardous waste (hospitals and medical clinics) and creation of employment opportunities for waste collection in the Qualyubia governorate. The organization will deploy an active citizenship approach in order to engage youth in such activities including both women and men in the range of 18 to 35 years old. Job opportunities will be created through the establishment of partnerships between the local hospitals and local clinics and the implementing organization. The project will train 150 young boys and girls on environmental rights based approach using UNDP training curriculum. The project will also provide 50 job opportunities as hazardous waste technicians at the different medical hospitals and clinics in Qualyubia. In addition, the project also aims to mobilise the local community to identify and assist in the elimination of hazardous waste sites through the establishment of a hotline within the organization to receive complaints about locations of hazardous waste in the Qualyubia governorate. The project objectives could be summarized as follows:

1.  Raising public awareness of the danger to the exposure to hazardous medical waste, and increasing the awareness of their health and environmental rights.

2.  Training and hiring youth in hospitals and private practices as expert technicians responsible for collecting and disposing of hazardous medical waste following safety measures.