Aid in Action
Making Medical Services More Sanitary in Djibouti
Trainings, sterilizers and incinerators raise health posts’ cleanliness levels
Djibouti
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Friday, May 04, 2007
BEFORE: Poor medical waste management.
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.
In collaboration with the Djibouti Ministry of Health, a USAID project has rehabilitated 24 health structures out of 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.
AFTER: New incinerators built by the PECSE Project help to manage medical waste effectively.
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.