UIP in India is one of the largest health programmes in the world for giving vaccinations (such as DPT, BCG, TT, OPV etc.) to children and women. All vaccines except OPV are given by injection. The programme includes administration of about 200 million injections each year covering about 5.5 lakhs sites in the various urban as well as rural parts including remote/outreach locations of India. The vaccination practice of the UIP so far involved use of either glass or disposable syringes so far. It has been decided by the Govt. of India that Auto Disable (AD) syringes would be introduced instead of glass or disposable syringe to minimize the risk of reuse of syringes that might transmit infections. Although the introduction of AD syringes would check the possibility of reuse, it would also generate relatively large quantity of bio-medical waste during the immunization programme. Such waste generated in urban areas may conveniently be imparted necessary treatment using existing infrastructure for treatment of bio-medical waste but imparting necessary treatment/disposal to these waste generated at outreach points is a matter of concern.

The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has, therefore, prepared guidelines for disposal of bio-medical wastes expected to be generated under UIP. The development of guidelines involved two case studies conducted in the district of Bulandshahar (Uttar Pradesh) and Alwar (Rajasthan) for a broad understanding of the immunization system under the UIP and a review of treatment requirements for the bio-medical waste involved in the UIP vis-à-vis the permitted treatment/disposal options at the various location and the outreach points.