Under the Caribbean Cooperation in Health Phase Two (CCH-II), waste management has been identified as a priority issue for Environmental Health. CEHI has been given the responsibility for coordinating the regional interventions for solid waste management, which includes biomedical waste management.

The Caribbean Environmental Health Institute (CEHI) was asked by agencies within its member states to provide assistance to address the issue of Bio-medical Waste disposal.

The Institute in addressing these concerns has conducted a regional biomedical waste management training workshop. The workshop targeted:

• Hospital Managers and other administrators of health care establishments. Environmental Health Professionals.
• Solid Waste Managers or personnel with responsibility for waste collection, treatment and disposal.
• Officials from national agencies responsible for the development of policies with respect to biomedical waste management.

The workshop was designed:

• To sensitize participants with respect to public health and environmental hazards associated with inappropriate segregation, storage, collection, transport, handling, treatment and disposal of health care waste.
• To enable senior administrators of health care establishments, solid waste managers, environmental health professionals and other relevant persons to develop biomedical waste management plans.
• To expose participants to waste management practices and technologies that are sustainable, economic, safe, efficient and culturally acceptable and to therefore identify appropriate systems for their countries.
• To provide information on hazards and sound management practices of health care waste to enable the formulation of policies and the development of legislation and technical guidelines.
• The second phase of the assistance involves developing a policy and a longer term-programme.
• Other areas of concern and which are receiving special attention are: Used Oil and Sanitary Landfill Monitoring.