HICLOVER Medical Waste Incinerators for Afghanistan’s Expanded Immunization Program

Safe medical waste management has become a critical priority for Afghanistan, particularly within the National Expanded Program for Immunization (NEPI). With vaccination campaigns generating thousands of sharps, used vaccine vials, and contaminated packaging every day, the need for reliable treatment equipment is urgent. UNICEF’s recent assessment highlighted that open burning and burial remain widespread practices, posing risks to health workers and communities.

To address these challenges, five new incinerator units are being deployed at regional hubs in Kandahar, Nangarhar, Herat, Balkh, and Paktya, supporting more than 1,500 healthcare facilities nationwide.

Why HICLOVER Incinerators Are Chosen

HICLOVER provides dual-chamber, diesel-fired incinerators specifically engineered for healthcare waste. The equipment is designed to handle Afghanistan’s on-the-ground realities—remote locations, limited technical capacity, and the need for safe and simple operations.

Key technical features include:

Processing Capacity: 30–35 kg/hour in Paktya and 40–50 kg/hour in Kandahar, Nangarhar, Herat, and Balkh.
Combustion System: Dual chambers with 850°C in the primary chamber and ≥1100°C in the secondary chamber, ensuring full pathogen destruction.
Residency Time: ≥ 2 seconds in the secondary chamber to minimize harmful emissions.
Construction: Heavy-duty refractory lining (≥115 mm, 65% Al₂O₃) for long service life.
Non-Combustible Waste Deformation: Capable of treating glass syringes, metal sharps containers, and ampoules to achieve safe deformation.
Safety & Compliance: Equipped with sealed access doors, automatic alarms, insulated high-temperature surfaces, and noise levels ≤ 85 dBA.

Environmental and Emission Control

To comply with international emission standards, each incinerator is supplied with:

12-meter stainless steel chimney with sampling ports for monitoring.
Wet scrubbing system (optional) including spray tower and demisting stage for acid gas removal.
Batch feeding system with airtight refractory-lined doors to prevent smoke leakage.

This design minimizes environmental impact while offering flexibility depending on Afghanistan’s regulatory framework.

Training, Manuals, and Maintenance

HICLOVER recognizes that sustainable success depends on capacity building. Each installation includes:

On-site and remote operator training (waste segregation, feeding, ash removal, emission monitoring).
Operation and service manuals in English, Dari, and Pashto.
Full set of spare parts for two years of operation.
One-year warranty with local reseller support for preventive maintenance.

These measures ensure that Afghan health workers can independently operate and maintain the equipment long after commissioning.

Strategic Impact for Afghanistan

The deployment of HICLOVER incinerators at NEPI’s regional sites will:

Replace unsafe disposal methods such as open burning.
Strengthen Afghanistan’s compliance with WHO guidelines for immunization waste.
Provide safer working conditions for health staff handling 400 safety boxes and 1,000 vials daily at each site.
Establish a scalable model for environmentally responsible healthcare waste treatment across the country.

afghanistan medical waste incinerator project
dual chamber diesel incinerator for NEPI Afghanistan
HICLOVER incinerator Kandahar Nangarhar Herat Balkh Paktya
healthcare waste incineration system for immunization campaigns
UNICEF supported incinerator project afghanistan
incinerator with wet scrubber for infectious waste Afghanistan