Health & Wellness
Safer medical waste disposal for Uganda's smaller clinics
Kabengwa Eric, a student at Makerere University, is building PearlMed Waste Solutions, an early-stage startup to improve how healthcare facilities in Uganda manage and dispose of medical waste.
Many healthcare facilities in Uganda, especially smaller clinics and rural health centers, struggle with the safe handling of infectious and hazardous waste. Kabengwa Eric says the risks fall on healthcare workers, waste handlers, communities and the environment. That is the problem PearlMed Waste Solutions, the startup he is building, is focused on: improving the management and disposal of medical waste in the country.
They are still in the early stages. The team is small, he says, and has been researching the problem, engaging with stakeholders, and exploring practical, affordable waste-management solutions that can work in the Ugandan context. It has not yet generated revenue. What it is committed to, he says, is building a sustainable system that helps healthcare facilities manage waste more safely and efficiently.
“I believe that every healthcare facility, regardless of size, should have access to safe and responsible waste-management services.”
Kabengwa Eric
He describes poor medical waste management as both a public health and an environmental challenge. "As someone with a science background, I have seen how preventable risks from improperly handled medical waste can affect communities," he says.
For now his goal, he says, is simple: to prove that a practical and scalable medical waste-management solution can be built, one that "protects people, supports healthcare facilities, and contributes to a cleaner environment in Uganda."