CAIRO - 8 July 2026: Dr. Manal Awad, Minister of Local Development and Environment, held a meeting Wednesday with representatives of a private company specializing in advanced solutions to discuss mechanisms for establishing an integrated national system for the safe management of pharmaceutical waste.
The meeting was also attended by Yasser Abdullah, CEO of the Waste Management Regulatory Authority, and Eng. Essam Abdel Aziz, Director General of the Authority.
This initiative aligns with the state's directives to strengthen the integrated waste management system and support the transition to a circular economy.
The Pharmaceutical Waste File
At the outset of the meeting, Dr. Manal Awad emphasized that the issue of pharmaceutical waste is a priority environmental and health concern.
She highlighted the negative impacts on human health and the environment resulting from the unsafe disposal of medicines, whether unused or expired, including soil and water pollution, and the emission of hazardous pollutants from indiscriminate burning or improper disposal.
Pharmaceutical Markets
Dr. Manal Awad pointed out that Egypt, being one of the largest pharmaceutical markets in the region, sees a significant volume of pharmaceutical products traded annually.
This leads to the accumulation of unused or expired medications in homes, pharmacies, and distribution chains. This necessitates a modern system to ensure their safe collection and management, in coordination with the Egyptian Drug Authority, while preventing their illegal recirculation.
She emphasized the need to address the gap in the system for collecting pharmaceutical waste generated in homes, as well as the importance of establishing a mechanism to prevent the waste of large quantities of high-quality packaging materials, such as plastic, glass, aluminum, paper, and metals, and to explore the possibility of recycling and utilizing them economically.
During the meeting, Dr. Manal Awad listened to a detailed presentation from the company regarding its vision for establishing an integrated national system for the safe management of pharmaceutical waste.
This system relies on connecting homes and pharmacies through a digital network to collect unused and expired medications. It also includes incentive programs for citizens to encourage participation in the system, ensuring the collection, transportation, sorting, and disposal of this waste in accordance with environmental and health regulations, under the supervision of the relevant authorities.
The company also presented the concept of using an integrated digital platform based on databases and big data analytics. This platform would allow for tracking the pharmaceutical waste cycle, generating reports to support government agencies, enhancing oversight, and reducing the recirculation or illegal use of expired medications.
The company further explored the potential for utilizing the components of separated pharmaceutical waste by recycling high-quality packaging materials such as plastic, glass, aluminum, metals, paper, and others.
The meeting also discussed opportunities to support scientific research in this field through collaboration with universities and research centers to study global best practices in waste management.
The Minister of Local Development and Environment praised the innovative ideas and solutions presented by the company, emphasizing the importance of encouraging national innovation and providing opportunities for specialized Egyptian companies to participate in developing smart and sustainable waste management solutions.
Integrated roles
Dr. Manal Awad stressed that the success of the system requires integrated roles between the Ministry, scientific and research institutions, and the private sector to ensure the implementation of an effective and sustainable system that achieves the highest levels of environmental and health protection.
She explained that the Ministry aims, through this system, to enhance pharmaceutical security, protect the environment from hazardous emissions and waste, reduce economic waste, increase recycling rates, and create new investment opportunities in the waste management sector.
At the end of the meeting, the Minister of Local Development and Environment directed the preparation of a comprehensive implementation plan.
This plan should include defining roles and responsibilities, establishing an implementation timeline, and completing coordination with all relevant stakeholders.
Comments
Leave a Comment