Cory You and Tia Sparks

Committee: World Health Organization

Delegation: Canada
Topic 2: Medical Waste
Medical waste is a huge problem that faces the modern world. Disposal of biowaste,
sharps, and other hazardous medications and equipment furnishes a large issue that needs to be
addressed in this WHO session. Some more specific problems included in the larger issue of
biowaste are the issue of disposal of medical waste through incinerators, emissions of such
incinerators, and discussion of non-incinerator solutions for biowaste disposal.
With the bloom of medical technologies in recent years, medical waste has become an
increasingly prevalent issue. The U.N. does not provide specific guidelines for incinerator
emissions or incineration schedules currently, as this is such a novel issue. However, the U.N.
and World Health Organization recognize that this is a problem that needs to be addressed
urgently.
Canada recognizes that this issue is very important and supports the use of technologies
like incineration to dispose of biowaste. As a large player in the development of medical
technologies for global use, Canada realizes that it has an important role to play in this sessions
discussion. Possible solutions Canada would suggest include the development of alternative
solutions to incineration for disposal, such as the creation of biodegradable medical technologies
and/or nonhazardous technologies such as a syringe that would retract the needle within itself
and thus solve for the issue of hazardous sharps and needle reuse. Canada appreciates that the
resolution of this issue would represent a victory for health on a global scale, and looks forward
to working with the other delegations to create a feasible solution.