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Before & After

Photo: PECSE Project/Stanislas Nebie

Before: A lack of equipment and training meant that medical waste was often left out in the open, increasing the likelihood of disease among patients and health care workers.

Photo: AOJS II

After: New incinerators built with USAID support help to manage medical waste and lessen the spread of disease.

In all remote health posts throughout Djibouti, medical waste and health equipment such as surgical instruments and bandages were handled haphazardly due to both a lack of sterilizing equipment and low levels of training for medical staff. The unsanitary conditions often led to the spread of disease among both patients and health care providers. A USAID project in collaboration with the Djibouti Ministry of Health has rehabilitated 24 of the 25 total existing rural clinics. The project provided new medical equipment and furniture (including gas steam sterilizers) and also trained nurses to perform routine equipment sterilization compliant with international standards. It also initiated the construction of incinerators to dispose of medical waste. To ensure that these changes remain institutionalized, USAID brought in international experts to train the health ministry’s national maintenance department and health providers. The staff can now routinely sterilize equipment and provide quality health services.

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