The regional incinerator, which will be managed by Gulu Regional Referral Hospital, is one of five such facilities being established by the government to improve the safe disposal of infectious medical waste and reduce environmental pollution.
Gulu City, Uganda: The Ministry of Health has raised concern over poor healthcare waste management across Uganda, warning that many health facilities continue to dispose of hazardous medical waste through open burning due to a shortage of standard incinerators.
The concerns emerged during an inspection of the Regional Medical Waste Incinerator under construction in Onang Village, Gulu City, a facility expected to transform healthcare waste management across the Acholi Sub-region once it is commissioned later this year.
The regional incinerator, which will be managed by Gulu Regional Referral Hospital, is one of five such facilities being established by the government to improve the safe disposal of infectious medical waste and reduce environmental pollution.
Speaking during the inspection, Ministry of Health spokesperson Emmanuel Ainebyoona said the project forms part of government’s broader investment in strengthening healthcare infrastructure and environmental health systems.
“Government is investing in modern healthcare waste management systems to address longstanding challenges in the country’s health sector,” Ainebyoona said.
He revealed that the Gulu Regional Medical Waste Incinerator is expected to be commissioned by November 2026, after which it will serve hospitals and health facilities across the Acholi Sub-region.
According to a Ministry of Health assessment, access to standard medical waste incinerators remains low in many health facilities, forcing hospitals and health centres to resort to open burning of infectious waste, a practice that exposes health workers, nearby communities and the environment to serious health risks.
The assessment further found that many health facilities allocate little or no funding towards healthcare waste management in their annual budgets, undermining efforts to safely handle infectious waste.
The report also highlighted limited access to national healthcare waste management guidelines and strategic documents, noting that some existing guidelines have become outdated.
In addition, many healthcare workers have not received adequate training in proper healthcare waste management throughout the service delivery chain.
The Ministry further established that operational budgets for existing incinerators are generally inadequate, making it difficult to maintain and operate them effectively.
It also found that several medium-sized incinerators constructed under USAID’s Green Label Programme remain incomplete after supporting infrastructure such as waste storage facilities and wastewater sumps were never finished.
The assessment further indicated that many small-scale incinerators currently operating at lower-level health facilities do not meet the minimum standards required for the safe destruction of hazardous medical waste.
The Principal Hospital Administrator at Gulu Regional Referral Hospital, Walter Onyekwu, described the new regional incinerator as a major investment that will significantly improve public health and environmental protection across Northern Uganda.
He said the modern facility has been designed to emit significantly less smoke than conventional incinerators, making it more environmentally friendly while reducing air pollution associated with medical waste disposal.
“Once operational, the facility will eliminate indiscriminate disposal of medical waste around health facilities,” Onyekwu said.
He encouraged private hospitals, clinics and health centres across the Acholi Sub-region to partner with Gulu Regional Referral Hospital in safely disposing of hazardous healthcare waste.
To strengthen healthcare waste management nationwide, the Ministry of Health is recommending expansion of regional incinerator services to other parts of the country, increased dissemination of healthcare waste management guidelines, and continuous training and mentorship of health workers.
The Ministry also wants Infection Prevention and Control (IPC-WASH) activities integrated into annual health facility budgets before approval by District Health Officers.
Among other recommendations, the Ministry proposes phasing out small-sized incinerators that do not meet national standards and redirecting medical waste to regional facilities.
It also recommends conducting comprehensive technical assessments of incomplete incinerators, completing outstanding civil and mechanical works, and fast-tracking the commissioning of completed regional facilities.
The Ministry further wants engineering departments at Regional Referral Hospitals to supervise and provide preventive maintenance for medium-sized incinerators serving lower-level health facilities, while District Health Officers ensure adequate funding for the operation and maintenance of healthcare waste management infrastructure.
Health experts say strengthening medical waste management is critical in preventing the spread of infections, protecting healthcare workers and surrounding communities, and ensuring compliance with environmental and public health standards.
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