The Ministry of Health and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in the Maldives, with support from the Government of Japan, marked a significant milestone in strengthening healthcare waste management across the country with the official handover of upgraded facilities, essential equipment, and clean-energy transport vehicles.
The ceremony, held in Kaafu Dhiffushi, celebrated the completion of The Project for the Improvement of Infectious Waste Management in Southwest Asia, a USD 4.4 million initiative funded by the Government of Japan and implemented by UNDP from 2022 to 2025. The project aims to advance safe, sustainable, and gender-responsive healthcare waste management systems to better protect human health and the environment.
Under the project, 21 healthcare waste management facilities have been constructed nationwide, including the newly inaugurated Dhiffushi facility. Autoclaves were installed at the Thuraakunu and Thakandhoo health centres, while 65 electric tricycles were delivered to enable safe, clean-energy collection and transport of healthcare waste.
Capacity building formed a core component of the initiative, with 656 healthcare workers trained, 90 percent of them women, in partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO). The project also contributed to digital strengthening, delivering 270 computers and 40 network switches to enhance the national digitalized waste management system. Additional health service equipment—including ECG machines and autoclaves—was also procured to support uninterrupted essential services.
Speaking at the event, Minister of Health Honourable Abdulla Nazim Ibrahim, Ambassador of Japan H.E. Ishigami Rumiko, and UNDP Resident Representative Adnan Cheema highlighted the collaborative commitment to building resilient and environmentally sustainable health systems. Attendees also toured the newly completed Dhiffushi Healthcare Waste Management Building and viewed the electric vehicles and equipment that will support safer and more efficient waste handling across the islands.
The Ministry of Health, UNDP, and the Government of Japan reaffirmed their continued dedication to advancing a cleaner, safer, and more resilient healthcare system for communities throughout the Maldives.