Baghdad – The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Iraq has today signed a US$25 million agreement with Iraq’s Ministry of Health (MoH) to strengthen medical waste management in the country. The agreement is part of the $100 million Iraq Covid-19 Vaccination Project (ICVP), a loan financed by the World Bank to support the Government of Iraq’s rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Under the agreement, UNDP will procure and install approximately 180 shredder autoclaves which convert medical waste – largely from COVID-19 vaccinations – such as syringes, ampules, dressings and personal protective equipment like masks and gloves into ordinary waste for safe disposal. These efforts support MoH’s safe deployment of the vaccine throughout Iraq.

“We confirm the ongoing partnership between the Federal Ministry of Health and all local and international supporting bodies for their technical support, and for developing infrastructure to strengthen the provision of health services across all levels of government and the Kurdistan Region. We are grateful for all the efforts supporting the Federal Ministry of Health and its departments in addressing health sector challenges.” says the Federal Minister of Health, Dr. Hani Musa Badr Al-Uqabi,

“As the development partner of choice, UNDP is proud to have been selected by the Ministry of Health and the World Bank to implement this critical project.  The established and successful mechanisms UNDP Iraq has in place ensure agility, adaptability, flexibility, and transparency in our delivery.” says Resident Representative of UNDP Iraq Ms Zena Ali Ahmad.

“We also welcome the new collaboration with the World Bank who has provided the funds for this much-needed support for medical waste management in the country,” she adds.