South-South Cooperation Assistance Fund provides USD 1.08 million for medical waste management project in the Philippines

Project narrative

Through the South-South Cooperation Assistance Fund (SSCAF), China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA) pledged USD 5 million for the "Learning from China's Experience to Improve the Ability of Response to COVID-19 in Asia and the Pacific Region" initiative in 2021. The goal of the project was to strengthen the preparedness and response capacity of the Philippines (Record ID# 96431), Myanmar (Record ID#96973), Cambodia (Record ID#96974), Nepal (Record ID#96975), and Laos (Record ID#96976) and share China’s successful COVID-19 strategies to promote sustainable cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region on COVID-19 response. The total estimated cost of this initiative is USD 11.42 million with United Nations Development Program (UNDP) providing the remaining USD 6.42 million in parallel funding. The Philippines received USD 1.08 million under this initiative to achieve the following deliverables: - procurement of two mobile autoclaves with integrated air pollution control equipment, increasing the processing capacity of 2-3 tons per day and train local personnel on the use and maintenance of equipment; - provide equipment for segregation and collection of wastes and facilitate setting up of storage facilities; - procure PPEs and consumables for segregation and handling of wastes and protection of waste handlers; - train 300 health-care facility personnel from Government hospitals and quarantine facilities, waste handlers, and national and local government officials on proper and sustainable management of health care waste, including waste minimization, segregation, collection, treatment, storage and disposal. The training materials and guidelines will be disseminated to 100 hospitals and healthcare facilities. On August 13, 2021, the initiative was launch in the Philippines. On December 16, 2022, three autoclaves and other unspecified medical waste treatment equipment were handed over to Pasig City General Hospital and Dr. Jose N. Rodriguez Memorial Hospital and Sanitarium.