19 in 20 Nigerian health facilities fall short of basic medical waste standard

Across sub-Saharan Africa, 24% of health care facilities met the basic waste-management standard in 2025, while the global figure was 71%.

About 19 in every 20 health care facilities in Nigeria fall short of the basic standard for managing medical waste, according to a new WHO/UNICEF assessment.

For a facility to meet the basic waste-management standard, health-care waste must be safely segregated into at least three bins, while sharps and infectious waste must be safely treated and disposed of.