CABICHEM hosts an online training course on "Hazardous waste management during the Covid-19 health emergency" for Uzbek stakeholders

On 30 November and 1 December 2020 the Institute of Chemical Sciences and Technologies of the Italian National Research Council (ISTM – CNR), with the support of Fondazione FORMIT, held a Training Programme 2 on “Hazardous waste management during the COVID-19 health emergency”, which organised for the Uzbek stakeholders involved in the project.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the impairment to travel, the training was held online.

The training – which in the following weeks will be erogated also for Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia and Pakistan – involved more than 40 stakeholders from Uzbek Ministries and Agencies. It had the goal of spreading knowledge and know-how about safety and security issues related to the generation, handling, stockpiling, transportation, treatment and disposal of hazardous waste materials produced and/or found in sites, healthcare facilities and laboratories in this period of pandemic crisis. The training also aimed at raising awareness about the state-of-the-art and the good practices on how to safely manage SARS-CoV-2-related chemical and/or biological waste, as well as demonstrating how to use personal protective equipment (PPE) to operate in COVID-19 contaminated areas.

During day 1 – after the welcome of Dr. Iryna Iarema, UNICRI Regional Coordinator for Central Asia, and Dr. Christian Raitz von Frentz, IcSP Regional Cooperation Officer for Central Asia – the scientific team provided the most updated information about SARS-CoV-2 and all related information for an efficient response in terms of risk assessment, methods for disinfection, bio-safety.

During day 2 the current COVID-19 emergency situation in Uzbekistan was discussed with local stakeholders. At the end of such a discussion, a practical session was held by the ISTM-CNR scientific team led by Dr. Matteo Guidotti to live show how to don and doff specific personal protective equipment to combat COVID-19.

At the end of the two sessions, all participants thanked the project staff for organising a very interesting and practical training that will help them in properly addressing the pandemic crisis in their country.