A/HRC/18/31 C virus and Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). However, each type of hazardous medical waste presents hazards that jeopardise the enjoyment of human rights. The present report contains several examples of the adverse impact that the improper management and disposal of medical waste continue to have on the enjoyment of human rights in many countries. Nevertheless, the international community has to date paid little attention to this issue, despite the fact that a significant number of people – including medical staff, patients, workers in support services linked to health-care facilities, workers in waste disposal facilities, recyclers, scavengers and the general public – are potentially at risk of injury and/or contamination through accidental exposure to health-care waste. 2