Lebanon today opened its first public hospital-based infectious healthcare waste treatment facility at Karantina Governmental University Hospital in Beirut, marking a major step toward safer healthcare practices and stronger environmental protection.

Funded by the European Union and implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the facility serves healthcare providers across Beirut and Mount Lebanon. It reduces pressure on landfills, limits unsafe disposal practices, and strengthens infection prevention and control standards, particularly in public hospitals.

The facility was inaugurated in a ceremony attended by H.E. the Minister of Public Health, Dr. Rakan Nassereddine; H.E. the Minister of Environment, Dr. Tamara El Zein;  Head of Cooperation of the European Union Delegation to Lebanon, Alessandra Viezzer, and UNDP Resident Representative in Lebanon Blerta Aliko, alongside representatives of government officials and key national and international partners.