This estimate of 50% reuse for syringes and needles seems unrealistically low, for two reasons. First, as anyone who has been in an African clinic can testify, practically every kind of medical device is in short supply. It is highly unlikely that under-trained personnel would throw away a perfectly serviceable needle and syringe. Even if they did, these disposable syringes and needles are unlikely to actually find their way into a landfill. WHO admits that “In developing countries, additional hazards occur from scavenging on waste disposal sites and manual sorting of the waste recuperated at the back doors of healthcare establishments.”31 Those syringes and needles recovered from the trash are then sold on the black market to untrained lay practitioners who reuse them.32 The percentage of needles and syringes that are reused is likely closer to 100% than to 50%.
Posted on: Sun, 28 Jul 2013 20:17:50 +0000