Biomedical Waste Management in Cameroon: A Legal Paradigm
Keywords:
Waste, biomedical waste, managementAbstract
Understanding how biomedical waste can be managed can lead to better and more effective way of curbing the effects it possesses to the society. In this light, the work sets out to make an analysis of biomedical waste management under Cameroonian law. The objective of this work has been to find the extent the laws in the environmental and health sectors step in to address management of biomedical waste. The doctrinal and empirical method has both been used to come up with this work.
From our findings it has been demonstrated that, the Cameroonian legislators passively addresses the issue of biomedical waste management. This gives laxity to Cameroonian health operators who carelessly dispose of their waste without taking into consideration the environmental harm and health hazards they can produce. As such, it has been recommended that a comprehensive legal piece should be put in place, which will serve as a kick off to bring various stakeholders to order, thereby
achieving an ecologically safe and healthy environment.
References
1. The term biomedical waste means any waste, which is generated during the diagnosis, treatment or immunization of human beings or animal s or in research activities pertaining thereto or in the production or biological testing.
2. Ministry of Environment, Protection of Nature and Sustainable Development
3. A Compendium of Legal Instruments on Environment April 2008.Availableat http://www.gfbcam.com/wp-content/uploads /2021/06/ Receuils Des Textes Juridiques Mineped Anglais 1.(Lastly Accessed on 16th June, 2022).
4. Order No.003/Minepded of 15 October 2012, to lay down specific conditions for Managing Medical and Pharmaceutical Waste
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6. Amir, H., (2014), ‘‘Household Waste Behaviours Among A community Sample in Iranian Application of the Theory of Planned Behaviour, Waste Management, Vol.34(6), PP.980-986.
7. Article 3 of Order No.003/Minepded of 15 October 2012, to l ay down specific conditions for Managing Medical and Pharmaceutical Waste.
8. Article 1 (1) of Law No. 64-LF-23 of November 13, 1964 on the Protection of Public Health.
9. Article 4 of Law No. 64-LF-23 of November 13, 1964 on the Protection of Public Health.
10. Article 3 of Law No.89/27 of 29 December 1989 on Toxic and Hazardous Waste
11. Ibid, Article 4.
12. Ibid, Article 4(8).
13. Article 5 of the 1996 Framework Law on Environmental Management.
14. Ibid, Article 43.
15. Article 43 of the 1996 Framework Law on Environmental Management.
16. Fine of 50,000,000 (fifty million) to 500,000,000 (five hundred million) CFA francs and life imprisonment s levied on sure pesons.
17. Article 13 of Decree No. 2012/2809/PM of September 2012 to lay down conditions for Sorting, Collecting Transporting, Retrieving, Recycling, Treating and Final Disposal of Waste.
18. Ibid, Article 14.
19. Ibid, Article 30(3)
20. Article 4 of Order No.003/Minepded of 15 October 2012, to lay down specific conditions for Managing Medical and Pharmaceutical Waste.
21. Ibid, Article 10 (1).
22. Melengui Yvette, Charge D’etude De Division des Affaires Juridique Du MINSANTE, An Interview conducted on 27thJune 2022.
23. Article 1 of the 1996 Cameroonian Environmental Code.
24. Ibid, Article 2.
25. Djanja Naomi, Cadre De Service D’hygiène Hospitaliene De Hopital Central De Yaoundé.
26. Tetou Honorine, Nurse Administrator at Yaounde Central Hospital, An Interview conducted on 27th June 2022.
27. Ken, Senior administrator in Hospital Bethesda, An Interview conducted on 27th June 2022.
28. Tankeu Sandrine, Lab Technician at Centre Medicale Hippodrome, An Interview conducted on 27thJune, 2022.
