Geneva – Eswatini’s National Emergency Response Council on HIV and AIDS (NERCHA) Dr Nondumiso Ncube is the National Executive Director (NED), Dr Nondumiso Ncube has briefed The Global Fund on the recently launched National Healthcare Waste Management Centre in Matsapha.
Dr Ncube was representing the minister of health, Mdudzi Mduduzi Matsebula, at the sidelines of the 79th World Health Assembly (WHA) in Geneva, Switzerland. During the “Transforming Healthcare Waste Management Sustainability in Africa” side meeting, she stated that the facility strengthens Eswatini’s national capacity to operate a healthcare waste management plant of this size.
The Global Fund funded the plant. It was built at a cost of E52 million and is located near the industrial site in Matsapha. It features a centralised high-temperature incinerator that replaces approximately 19 older incinerators. Two months ago, Prime Minister Russell Mmiso Dlamini commissioned the plant, stating that it would eliminate the costs of exporting the medical waste to South Africa. 
“This investment reflects our collective commitment to protecting the environment and ensuring the well-being of the Swazi people. Over the years, the country has faced the challenge of safely collecting, transporting, treating and disposing of expired healthcare products, which happened in neighbouring South Africa at exorbitant costs. This central and localised healthcare waste management plant now allows the country to dispose of expired healthcare products in an affordable manner,” Dr Ncube said.
The Global Fund engaged Mott MacDonald as technical advisors to guide the development of a sustainable waste treatment solution, assist in clearing the backlog of expired health products, and support long-term healthcare waste planning, it was said.
Its specs include a sophisticated high-temperature incinerator, the Makrotech V500, a specialised unit equipped with primary and secondary combustion chambers capable of operating at temperatures of up to 1,100 degrees Celsius.
Dr Ncube said the partnership with the Global Fund shows the effectiveness of collaboration between government institutions and development partners.
She said Eswatini will forever remain grateful. “The healthcare waste management plant represents the beginning of a new chapter in Eswatini. It is a symbol of our shared determination to protect our environment, safeguard communities and uphold the dignity and health of every Eswatini,” she said.
