The Healthcare Waste Management (HCWM) Project in Maldives marks an important step forward in strengthening safe, sustainable, and climate-smart health systems across the Maldives. Implemented by World Health Organization Maldives in close partnership with Ministry of Health Maldives, with construction support from the United Nations Development Programme and financial support from the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada, the project will lay the foundation for a modern, environmentally responsible approach to managing healthcare waste across the country.
Launched in March 2021 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the surge in infectious medical waste, the project introduced non-incineration, green technologies to 40 health facilities across 10 atolls. Autoclaves and shredders were procured and distributed nationwide, creating the conditions for healthcare waste to be safely disinfected and treated at source. While the full network is being progressively operationalized, this shift away from open burning and unsafe disposal represents a critical transition toward safer infection prevention, improved occupational health, and reduced environmental pollution in one of the world’s most geographically dispersed nations.
In October 2025, this progress became tangible with the official handover of two Healthcare Waste Management Facilities. The facility at HA. Dhidhoo Atoll Hospital was formally handed over through a joint initiative of WHO, the Ministry of Health, the Government of Canada, and UNDP, while a second facility was officially handed over at Hdh. Vaikaradhoo Health Centre. These milestones marked the first operational sites under the project and demonstrated how coordinated investments can translate into functional, island-level solutions.
Beyond infrastructure and equipment, the project has focused on building long-term national systems. National standards and designs for healthcare waste handling areas were developed and endorsed, ensuring that future facilities meet consistent safety, quality, and environmental benchmarks. These standards now guide government planning and partner-supported expansion, firmly embedding healthcare waste management within the Maldives’ broader Green and Climate-Smart Hospital agenda.
Capacity building has been a cornerstone of the project’s impact. Through a national Training of Trainers programme and cascade trainings conducted across all atolls, more than 600 healthcare workers (from nurses and laboratory staff to administrators and waste handlers) were trained on safe segregation, treatment, handling, and disposal of healthcare waste. Supported by newly developed information, education, and communication materials, this nationwide effort has strengthened local ownership and day-to-day practice across the health system.
The HCWM Project has also demonstrated the power of partnership. Close coordination between WHO, the Ministry of Health, UNDP, and development partners enabled progress despite COVID-19 disruptions, infrastructure constraints, and rising construction costs. This collaborative approach has already catalyzed additional investments, creating momentum for the phased operationalization of remaining sites and the continued scale-up of healthcare waste management nationwide.
As the project reaches its conclusion, its full impact is expected to unfold in the years ahead. With the first facilities now operational and national systems in place, the Maldives is positioned to progressively reduce health risks for frontline workers, safeguard communities from hazardous waste, lower the health sector’s environmental footprint, and strengthen resilience in line with commitments on climate action, sustainability, and Universal Health Coverage. The HCWM Project stands as a forward-looking example of how targeted investments, strong partnerships, and local capacity can deliver lasting solutions; ensuring that safe healthcare never comes at the cost of people or the planet.