Health services waste management: an analysis of the performance of the states of the Northeast

Abstract

The objective of this article was to analyze the performance of the states of the Brazilian Northeast in the final treatment of Health Services Waste (HSW). For this purpose, an exploratory and documentary research was developed, in which data from the National Sanitation Information System (SNIS) were analyzed. Solid waste management has been the subject of debates over time, the discussion lies in the high level of environmental degradation that this material represents, such a situation is reinforced when it comes to HSW. In addition to the degradation factor, they accumulate the potential for contamination and spread of diseases, in case they do not receive adequate treatment. Proper management of HSW will produce healthier cities. The data indicate that the use of dumps is present in all states, even though this is an improper destination. However, some states such as Bahia and Ceará are already leading the migration process towards optimized destinations, such as sanitary landfills and decontamination units, essential for the treatment of HSW. Finally, the results allowed the construction of a ranking among the northeastern states, with the states that have the greatest capacity to provide adequate final destination for HSW appearing in the first places, as well as showing the inaccuracy of the SNIS in not segregating HSW by category. Compiling the data made it possible to clarify the specificities of the HSW and will enable the other states to follow the traced path of evolution.