Sterilization Services Market - Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2023-2028)

The sterilization services market is expected to register a CAGR of 6.0% over the forecast period.

COVID-19 has impacted the growth of the sterilization services market. Sterilization was a key tool that was accessible to stop the spread of COVID-19 and directly combat SARS-CoV-2. For instance, according to an article published in the Environmental Science and Pollution Research, in May 2021, it was observed that sanitizers and disinfectants were crucial preventative measures to sterilize surfaces and equipment against coronavirus infection. The pandemic led to a shortage of filtering facepiece respirators due to which many healthcare institutions were forced to reuse FFRs after applying different decontamination methods including gamma-irradiation (GIR). For instance, as per an article published in Frontiers in Physics, in October 2021, it has been observed that CDC released emergency guidelines on the N95 decontamination methods and indicated that vapor hydrogen peroxide (VHP), ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) and moist heat had shown the most promising results in decontaminating the respirators (N95). This has increased the adoption of these methods to sterilize the equipment and respirators in hospital settings. Hence, COVID boosted the market growth and it expected to have stable growth in next 3-4 years.

Factors such as increased hospital-acquired infections, increasing technological advancements in the use of sterilization agents and equipment in industrial facilities, and growing awareness regarding cleanliness across all the facilities are boosting the market growth.

The rising prevalence of hospital-acquired infections is the key factor driving the market growth. For instance, according to the data published by the National and State HAI Progress 2021 Report, it has been observed that the HAI increased between 2020 and 2021, including a 14% increase in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), 12% in ventilator-associated events (VAE), 11% in surgical site infection (SSI-HYST), 7% in central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI), and 5% in catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI).

In addition, the increasing geriatric and pediatric population as well as the people in ICUs are at high risk of getting a healthcare-associated infection. This is anticipated to increase the demand for effectively sterilized medical equipment and other stuff, thereby boosting market growth. For instance, as per an article published in Annals of Intensive Care, in March 2022, it has been observed that intensive care unit (ICU) admissions among the elderly population are expected to increase with the increasing global population. In addition, as per the same source, patients aged 65 years or above constitute more ICU admissions, followed by people aged 80 years and 85 years old. Also, according to 2022 statistics published by UNPF, about 23% of the population living in Asia and the Pacific region is aged between 0-14 years, and 9% of the population is aged 65 years and over. Thus, the high aging population is expected to increase the demand for sterilized equipment, areas, rooms, and other stuff during their hospital stay to avoid further complications. This is anticipated to fuel the market growth over the forecast period.

Furthermore, the rising company activities in launching effective sterilizating services is expected to increase the market growth over the forecast period. For instance, in April 2022, Unimech Healthcare launched UniClean, an array of solutions to prevent ‘Work Place Sickness’ and ‘Crowd Spread Infections’. It has a cloud-based technology that provides 99.99% virus free sterilization of air and surfaces in offices, industries, hospitals, and other places. Also, in June 2021, STERIS acquired Cantel. This acquisition assists the company to expand its product offering of infection prevention products and services primarily to endoscopy and dental areas.

Therefore, owing to the aforementioned factors, such as the high burden of hospital-acquired infections, growing ICU admission rates in aging population, and increasing product launches, the studied market is expected to grow over the forecast period. However, the harmful effects of certain chemical agents and the lack of availability of correct manuals to perform sterilization activities are likely to hamper the growth of the sterilization services market over the forecast period.

Key Market Trends

Hospitals and Clinics Segment Expects to Register a Significant CAGR Over the Forecast Period

The hospitals and clinics segment is expected to witness significant growth in the sterilization services market over the forecast period owing to the factors such as the rising number of surgical procedures performed as well as the high burden of chronic disease among the population. In addition, the spread of coronavirus has also increased the need and awareness for sterilization procedures which is also contributing to the market growth. For instance, as per the data published by OECD, in June 2022, about 93,857 cataract surgeries were recorded in Portugal in 2021, followed by 49,308 in Denmark, and 32,844 in Ireland. Thus, the high number of surgeries performed in clinics and hospitals raises the demand to effectively sterilize surgical tools, hospital rooms, and the environment. This is anticipated to fuel the segment growth over the forecast period.

With the increasing number of multispeciality hospitals and clinics across various countries, the demand for sterilization is expected to increase. For instance, as per the 2022 data published by OECD, 4,995 hospitals were reported in Mexico in 2021 as compared to 4,909 in 2020. In addition, as per the same source, there were 268 hospitals in Austria in 2021 as compared to 267 hospitals in 2020. The high number of hospitals worldwide employ the high use of sterilization and is expected to augment the segment's growth over the forecast period.

Furthermore, the growing product launches and awareness regarding sterilization methods are anticipated to fuel the market growth. For instance, in March 2022, Sterifre Medical launched the Aura device, an automatic point-of-care disinfection system that circulates hydrogen peroxide and activated oxygen to disinfect stethoscopes, sensors, pumps, and other stuff.

Therefore, owing to the aforementioned factors such as the rising number of surgical procedures, increasing hospitals as well as product launches, the studied segment is expected to grow over the forecast period.

North America is Expected to Have the Significant Share Over the Forecast Period

North America is expected to dominate the market owing to factors such as the rising hospital-acquired infections, high patient admission rates, technological advancements in healthcare facilities, strong presence of industry players in the region, increased funding from the government, awareness among people and healthcare industry stakeholders about available technologies, and the high concentration of market players in the United States.

The growing communal diseases and hospital-acquired infections are expected to drive market growth. For instance, as per an article published in the Urogenital Infections and Inflammation, in August 2021, urinary tract infections (UTIs) are a leading cause of nosocomial infections worldwide and have been estimated to cause approximately 30 % of HAIs in the acute care setting in the United States. In addition, as per the same source, out of those HAIs, approximately 75% were associated with an indwelling urinary catheter. These require sterilization and disinfection of the hospital supply products to control the infections caused by catheters in the United States. Therefore, this is anticipated to boost the growth of the market studied over the analysis period in North America.

The increasing prevalence of chronic diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases (CVD), diabetes, orthopedic ailments, and gastrointestinal (GI) disorders among the population leads to increased adoption of various medical procedures which require medical equipment. Thus, the need for sterilization areas and medical equipment is high during surgical procedures. For instance, as per 2022 statistics published by ACS, an estimated 1.9 million new cancer cases are estimated to be diagnosed in the United States in 2022. As per the same source, an estimated 106,180 new cases of colon cancer and 44,850 new cases of rectal cancer are to be diagnosed in the United States.

Additionally, according to the 2022 update by the Canadian Digestive Health Foundation (CDHF), 24,800 Canadians were diagnosed with colorectal cancer which represented 11% of all new cancer cases in 2021, among which 13.700 cases were diagnosed in men and 11,100 cases in women. Thus, the increased burden of cancers in Canada is expected to create demand for various surgical procedures which in turn is anticipated to fuel the need for sterilized devices, thereby propelling the market for sterlization services in the region.

Furthermore, the rising company activities and adopting various business strategies such as collaboration, facility expansion, and launches are also expected to increase the growth of the sterilization services market over the forecast period. For instance, in December 2021, Owens and Minor acquired American Contract Systems (ACS). This acquisition helps the company in expanding the United States-based kitting operations and build unique local sterilization capabilities.

Therefore, owing to the aforementioned factors such as the rising prevalence of chronic disease and healthcare-associated infections, the increasing number of hospitals, and growing company activities, the studied market is expected to grow in the region over the forecast period.

Competitive Landscape

The sterilization services market is fragmented due to the presence of many companies operating globally and regionally. The competitive landscape includes an analysis of a few international and local companies that hold market shares and are well known. Some of the major players in the market are Johnson and Johnson, Steris Corporation, Stryker Corporation, Medistri, B. Braun Medical Ltd., and Sterigenics, LLC, among others.

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