APAC's sterilization equipment market on the rise as hospitals multiply

The region accounts for more than 20% of the market globally.

A growth in the number of hospitals amidst a rise in elective surgeries and COVID-19 cases has boosted Asia-Pacific's sterilization equipment market, which is tipped to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 2% through 2030, according to a report from GlobalData.

“The number of elective surgeries and increase in COVID-19 cases could be interlinked. It is critical to sterilize medical devices used in various procedures as they could be a potential source of transmission,” GlobalData's medical devices analyst Rohit Anand said.

Virus transmission via medical devices can be avoided through proper sterilization techniques, but the fear of surface-related disease transmission may keep patients and practitioners away from reusable devices, the report stated.

“Multiple-use medical devices have a greater chance of contamination if not properly sterilized, compared to single-use devices. However, single-use devices result in a sizeable volume of plastic waste,” Anand said.

The report noted that the use of plastic-based and single-use devices, such as personal protective equipment, has risen significantly, and thus an urgent coordinated commitment approach and a robust waste management strategy is needed to deal with single-use plastic.

The APAC sterilization equipment market accounted for more than 20% of the global sterilization equipment market in 2020.