STATE-OF-THE-ART EQUIPMENT ADAPTED TO NEEDS

To carry out this modernization, the South African company Macrotec was selected. Its involvement went beyond simply supplying equipment: it also oversaw the construction of secure ash pits and the installation of 2,500-liter storage tanks at each site. The incinerators were sized according to the specific needs of each facility. The high-capacity V50 models were installed at the CHU-B and Blanche-Gomes hospitals to process large volumes of waste. The more compact V32 models meet the needs of the LNSP and the Pierre-Mobengo Military Hospital.

A RELIEF FOR THE HEALTHCARE FACILITIES

“We can only welcome this gesture. We sincerely thank the Minister of Health and Population, who worked to ensure these incinerators were made available to us as quickly as possible to address our shortcomings. We pledge to make excellent use of them,” declared Professor Roch Flabien Niama, Director General of the National Public Health Laboratory. At the Blanche-Gomes Mother-Child Specialized Hospital, the Director of Logistics and Facilities, Éric Moka, also expressed his appreciation for the support of the Global Fund and the Ministry of Health.

Until now, the facility had to process not only its own biomedical waste, but also that of the Brazzaville University Hospital. At the Pierre-Mobengo Central Military Hospital, the chief medical officer, Colonel-Major Jean Bertin Illoye, emphasized that this new facility will allow the incineration activity to resume, as the old equipment had been out of service for several months.

A DYNAMIC NATIONAL DEMANDED TO EXPAND

The Director of Hygiene and Health Promotion, Dr. Jean-Claude Emeka, welcomed the fact that these four facilities have become self-sufficient in the treatment of their biomedical waste. He specified, however, that this equipment could also be used by other healthcare facilities if needed. “In total, twelve incinerators have been acquired. The users have been trained, and the commissioning phase is now complete.”

On behalf of the Minister of Health and Population, who has made this a priority, we warmly thank the Global Fund and UNDP for the success of this project. We now hope that the management of biomedical waste will be fully secure and that this momentum will quickly spread to other departments,” stated Dr. Jean-Claude Emeka. For Hugues Traoré, UNDP Project Coordinator for the Global Fund, this donation represents a major step forward. “UNDP and the Global Fund are proud to have supported the Ministry of Health and Population in implementing this project. We are convinced that it will relieve the burden on hospital teams and sustainably strengthen their technical capacities. It is a real pleasure to hand over this equipment to the beneficiary facilities,” he declared, before urging hospital administrators to use it responsibly.

WHY A SUCH AN EMERGENCY?

The management of biomedical waste—syringes, needles, gauze, cotton, contaminated tissues, and anatomical waste—remains a major challenge in Africa, particularly in the Republic of Congo. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), nearly 85% of the waste produced by healthcare facilities is harmless. However, the remaining 15% presents infectious, chemical, or radioactive risks and requires specific treatment. When this waste is improperly disposed of, it facilitates the transmission of serious infections such as HIV and hepatitis B and C, while also increasing the risk of hospital-acquired infections in both patients and healthcare professionals. Open burning or uncontrolled dumping also leads to air, soil, and groundwater pollution, with significant consequences for local communities.

The steady increase in healthcare activities, vaccination campaigns, and medical interventions leads to a growing volume of biomedical waste produced each year. However, many facilities still lack sorting, collection, and treatment equipment that meets international standards. It is in this context that the support of UNDP and the Global Fund to the Ministry of Health becomes crucial. By equipping a dozen hospitals with modern incinerators, these partners are contributing to a lasting strengthening of health security, protecting healthcare professionals, patients, and the environment, while simultaneously improving the overall quality of the Congolese healthcare system.