South America Disposable Syringes Market Outlook, 2030

The growth story of single-use injection devices in South America highlights how healthcare safety and efficiency have taken center stage in recent years. These devices first came into the scene to replace reusable injection tools that posed serious health risks through contamination and infections. Before this change, healthcare workers and patients often faced dangers like needle re-use and improper sterilization, which caused the spread of blood-borne diseases. To overcome these issues, manufacturers developed several types such as basic single-use syringes, safety syringes equipped with protective features to prevent accidental needle sticks, and prefilled versions that ensure precise dosage and reduce preparation time.

Medical professionals in hospitals, clinics, vaccination centers, and home care environments depend on these tools for safe and hygienic administration of medicines. From a technical viewpoint, these devices consist of a plastic barrel and plunger with a fixed needle, all designed to be discarded after one use to prevent any risk of contamination. They effectively protect both patients and healthcare providers from infection transmission. Plastic surgery use syringes for several applications. Anesthesia is frequently delivered via syringes, and specific cosmetic treatments include injectable fillers such as Botox. The increase in plastic surgery correlates with a heightened demand for syringes utilized in these operations.

According to the Brazilian Society of Plastic Surgery, two million plastic surgery operations were conducted in August 2023. Consequently, the rising prevalence of plastic surgery in Brazil will augment the need for syringes utilized in anesthetic, fillers, and various facets of the operations. Innovations in this area have focused on better plastics for durability and safety, enhanced needle designs to reduce discomfort, and integrated safety mechanisms that block reuse automatically. Research and development by companies emphasize faster production processes and strict quality controls, allowing wider availability and consistent product performance.

According to the research report "South America Disposable Syringes Market Outlook, 2030," the South America Disposable Syringes market is anticipated to grow at more than 6.81% CAGR from 2025 to 2030. This growth is mainly fueled by rising awareness about disease prevention through immunization programs and growing cases of chronic conditions that need regular injectable treatments. Governments in countries like Brazil and Argentina have expanded vaccination drives and improved healthcare services, which increases demand for reliable and safe injection tools.

Recently, manufacturers have launched advanced products featuring safety mechanisms such as needle shields and automatic retracting needles to reduce the risk of injuries and infections. Brazil holds the largest share in the region due to its well-established healthcare system and government support for medical supply chains, while countries like Argentina, Colombia and Chile are showing rapid market growth as they enhance their healthcare infrastructure. Major suppliers such as Becton Dickinson, Nipro, and Terumo offer a range of products including conventional, safety, and prefilled devices designed to meet diverse clinical needs and comply with local regulations.

These companies focus on innovations that improve user comfort, product sterility, and environmental impact, making their offerings more attractive to healthcare providers. In July 2022, NuGen Medical Devices Inc. announced a five-year exclusive sales and distribution arrangement with SOL-MILLENNIUM Medical Group. Sol-M possesses a worldwide presence, including supplementary offices in Brazil. Initially a prominent manufacturer of plastic molds for the international medical sector, Sol-Millennium specialized in syringe mold production.

In September 2022, BD launched a next-generation glass pre-fillable syringe (PFS) that establishes a new benchmark in performance for vaccine PFS, with enhanced standards for processability, aesthetics, contamination, and integrity. Opportunities exist in expanding rural healthcare and homecare markets where easy-to-use injection devices are critical.

Market Drivers

• Rising Public Health Spending and National Vaccination Campaigns: Countries like Brazil, Argentina, and Colombia are increasing investments in public health initiatives, especially immunization drives supported by national governments and international organizations like PAHO and WHO. These campaigns, often targeting diseases such as measles, dengue, yellow fever, and COVID-19, require mass procurement of disposable syringes. Government-led centralized purchases create consistent, large-scale demand. This supports domestic syringe production and encourages international suppliers to establish local partnerships. As more people receive vaccinations, healthcare infrastructure improves, reducing disease burden and enhancing workforce productivity, which in turn benefits the regional economy.
• Expansion of Public Healthcare Access in Low-income Areas: South American countries are gradually expanding universal healthcare access through public systems like Brazil’s SUS (Sistema Único de Saúde). The inclusion of rural and low-income populations leads to increased demand for basic medical supplies, including disposable syringes for immunizations and therapeutic injections. This demand supports local production and distribution networks, particularly for affordable, conventional syringes. Local manufacturers benefit from government contracts and consistent volume orders.

Market Challenges

• Inadequate Waste Management and Syringe Disposal Systems: Many regions in South America lack proper infrastructure for the safe disposal of biohazardous waste. In rural or underfunded urban areas, syringes are often discarded inappropriately, increasing the risk of disease transmission. This creates public health concerns and environmental hazards. For manufacturers, the negative perception of single-use plastic products creates resistance among regulators and eco-conscious buyers. Consumers may hesitate to use disposable syringes due to fear of pollution or improper handling. This challenge restricts market expansion and pushes companies to consider costlier eco-friendly alternatives without clear returns.
• Economic Instability and Currency Fluctuations: Countries like Argentina and Venezuela face frequent inflation, unstable currencies, and inconsistent government budgets, which directly impact the procurement of medical supplies. Importing raw materials or finished syringes becomes costly and unpredictable. Producers struggle to plan production and maintain profit margins, while consumers mainly public hospitals face shortages or rising prices. These macroeconomic issues disrupt supply chains, limit foreign investments in local syringe manufacturing, and create dependency on low-cost imports that may lack quality control.

Market Trends

• Growth of Local Contract Manufacturing to Reduce Import Dependence: Governments and healthcare organizations in South America are encouraging local production through partnerships with syringe manufacturers. Brazil and Mexico have already started working with local contract manufacturers to meet national demand and reduce dependence on imported syringes, especially during health emergencies. Consumers benefit from faster access and lower costs, while manufacturers gain government-backed stability. This trend reduces logistical delays, boosts industrial capacity, and improves regional self-sufficiency, helping stimulate local economies and industrial diversification.
• Rising Demand for Safety Syringes in Urban Hospitals and Clinics: Urban healthcare facilities in countries like Chile, Brazil, and Colombia are adopting safety syringes featuring auto-disable or retractable mechanisms to reduce needle-stick injuries and infection risks. Medical professionals prefer them for improved safety and compliance with updated WHO protocols. This shift is influenced by hospital procurement policies and global health funding standards. Producers respond by upgrading production lines and offering certified safety-engineered devices. This trend improves public health standards, aligns with global norms, and opens higher-margin product opportunities for regional suppliers.

Conventional syringes lead the South America disposable syringes market because they offer a cost-effective, reliable solution that fits the region’s diverse healthcare needs and budget constraints.

Conventional syringes are basic single-use injection devices without extra safety features, widely used for delivering vaccines, medications, and drawing blood in healthcare settings. In South America, many countries face economic challenges and healthcare infrastructure gaps, which make affordable medical supplies crucial. Conventional syringes are less expensive to manufacture and purchase compared to advanced safety syringes, which allows public health programs and hospitals to buy them in bulk for mass immunization campaigns and routine treatments. Leading manufacturers such as Becton Dickinson, Nipro, and local producers supply these syringes across countries like Brazil, Argentina, and Colombia.

These companies often engage in regional health fairs and government procurement tenders, making conventional syringes easily accessible. The straightforward design of these syringes makes them easy to use and dispose of in busy healthcare environments with limited resources. Additionally, governments in South America run large-scale vaccination initiatives against diseases like yellow fever, influenza, and recently COVID-19, which demand huge volumes of syringes.

Although safety syringes are gaining attention, the cost sensitivity and urgent healthcare demands keep conventional syringes dominant. Medical personnel trained in the use of conventional syringes ensure safe injection practices despite the simpler technology. Furthermore, the manufacturing process of conventional syringes is well-established and capable of producing large quantities quickly, helping to meet urgent demands.

Immunization injections are the fastest growing application in South America’s disposable syringes market due to expanding vaccination programs aimed at controlling infectious diseases and improving public health across the region.

Immunization injections involve the use of disposable syringes to deliver vaccines that protect against illnesses like yellow fever, hepatitis, influenza, and COVID-19. South American countries have intensified their efforts to expand vaccination coverage as part of public health strategies supported by governments and international organizations such as the Pan American Health Organization and WHO. These programs require large volumes of syringes to ensure safe and effective vaccine delivery to millions of people. Manufacturers like Becton Dickinson, Terumo, and local producers supply syringes with features that support immunization efforts, such as auto-disable syringes that prevent reuse and reduce the risk of infections.

Governments organize vaccination campaigns and awareness drives, especially targeting children and vulnerable populations, which raise demand for syringes designed for mass immunization. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated this trend, creating urgent demand for syringes in vaccine rollout efforts. Prefilled syringes and auto-disable syringes became popular as they minimize preparation errors and enhance safety during injections.

Additionally, health authorities in countries like Brazil, Argentina, and Colombia allocate significant budgets for immunization programs, which helps manufacturers increase production and supply. Public trust in vaccines and growing awareness about disease prevention also drive people to seek immunization, further pushing syringe demand. The combination of government initiatives, manufacturer innovations, and increased public participation creates a positive environment for growth in immunization injection applications.

Hospitals lead the end-user segment in South America’s disposable syringes market because they handle the largest volume of medical procedures requiring sterile injection devices across both public and private healthcare systems.

Hospitals in South America provide critical care, surgeries, immunizations, and chronic disease management, all of which depend heavily on the use of disposable syringes. These facilities serve a wide range of patients daily, demanding a continuous and reliable supply of syringes that meet safety and hygiene standards. The public hospital network in countries like Brazil, Argentina, and Colombia covers vast populations, often under government-funded health programs aimed at improving healthcare access. Hospitals procure syringes from major manufacturers such as Becton Dickinson, Terumo, and Nipro, who offer products tailored for hospital use, including conventional and safety syringes with varying needle sizes and volumes.

These companies actively participate in regional healthcare conferences and tenders to promote their latest innovations focused on reducing needle-stick injuries and contamination risks. Hospitals prioritize disposable syringes to ensure patient safety and comply with health regulations that discourage syringe reuse. The rise in hospital admissions for chronic diseases like diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular conditions increases the demand for therapeutic injections, further driving syringe consumption.

Additionally, hospitals coordinate vaccination drives that require large quantities of syringes, especially in immunization campaigns against diseases like influenza and COVID-19. Staff training programs within hospitals emphasize the importance of single-use syringes to reduce healthcare-associated infections, reinforcing their preference for disposable products.

Brazil leads the South America disposable syringes market because of its well-established healthcare system, strong domestic manufacturing capabilities, and extensive public immunization programs.

Brazil’s leadership in the South American disposable syringes market comes from its large and structured healthcare framework, which covers a wide population through the Unified Health System (SUS). This public health system ensures free access to essential medical services, including vaccination campaigns, which rely heavily on disposable syringes to maintain safety and hygiene. Brazil runs one of the world’s largest immunization programs, targeting diseases like yellow fever, influenza, and recently COVID-19, which creates continuous high demand for syringes nationwide.

On the manufacturing side, Brazil hosts several well-known medical device companies such as Becton Dickinson Brazil and local producers like Inalca and Critikon that supply disposable syringes domestically and to neighboring countries. These companies benefit from government incentives aimed at strengthening local production and reducing dependency on imports, ensuring steady syringe availability and price stability. Additionally, Brazil’s regulatory agency, ANVISA, enforces quality standards and supports innovation in safety syringe technologies, further improving product reliability.

The country’s combination of strong public healthcare spending and a growing private medical sector also fuels demand for disposable syringes in hospitals, clinics, and diagnostic labs. Brazil’s strategic position as a regional hub allows it to influence medical supply chains across South America. Moreover, rising chronic disease cases, including diabetes and cancer, increase the need for therapeutic injections, which also drives syringe consumption.

Considered in this report

• Historic Year: 2019
• Base year: 2024
• Estimated year: 2025
• Forecast year: 2030

Aspects covered in this report

• Disposable Syringes Market with its value and forecast along with its segments
• Various drivers and challenges
• On-going trends and developments
• Top profiled companies
• Strategic recommendation

By Type

• Conventional Syringes
• Safety Syringes

By Application

• Immunization Injections
• Therapeutic Injections

By End User

• Hospitals
• Diagnostic Laboratories
• Blood Banks
• Others (Pharmaceutical Industry (B2B) (Prefilled Syringes))

The approach of the report:

This report consists of a combined approach of primary as well as secondary research. Initially, secondary research was used to get an understanding of the market and listing out the companies that are present in the market. The secondary research consists of third-party sources such as press releases, annual report of companies, analyzing the government generated reports and databases.

After gathering the data from secondary sources primary research was conducted by making telephonic interviews with the leading players about how the market is functioning and then conducted trade calls with dealers and distributors of the market. Post this we have started doing primary calls to consumers by equally segmenting consumers in regional aspects, tier aspects, age group, and gender. Once we have primary data with us we have started verifying the details obtained from secondary sources.

Intended audience

This report can be useful to industry consultants, manufacturers, suppliers, associations & organizations related to this industry, government bodies and other stakeholders to align their market-centric strategies. In addition to marketing & presentations, it will also increase competitive knowledge about the industry.