Core Activities

• Assessment of the healthcare waste management situation in healthcare facilities and vaccination centers.
• Assessment of the vaccination reverse logistic and supply-chain.
• Environmental and waste management policy review.
• Assistance to the Ministry of Health and Environmental Health Department to develop environmental compliant guidelines for HCWM at all levels.
• Training on Healthcare Waste Management and circular economy.

Project Overview

In collaboration with Angola’s Ministry of Health (MINSA) and the Coordenadora do Programa Nacional de Saúde Ambiental- DNSP/MINSA-Angola, m4eco conducted a desk review of the current environmental compliance literature, existing waste and environmental management laws, plans and strategies. m4eco provided an analysis of the waste management (focused on healthcare) and reverse logistic/supply-chain system for vaccination, in compliance with national and environmental good practices and trends. We visited the healthcare facility, vaccination center, medical stores, and landfill visits in Luanda and Bengo, Angola, with an emphasis on environmental health issues.

Alongside this analysis, m4eco developed training material and trained health and environmental officials from different levels (one 4-day training for technical staff and one 2-day training for provincial directors and supervisors) on environmentally compliant methods to address waste management and reverse logistics issues. The in-person trainings in Luanda and Cabo Ledo, Angola, were done to capacitate central level health officials and logisticians on the developed guidelines and SOPs.

The team developed an assessment and strategy document for decision-making. This document states the assessment results, gaps and recommendations that can be undertaken on an environmentally waste management, supply-chain system. Additionally, we have developed and designed a job-aid on proper handling of health care waste in vaccination centers to be used across the country.