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Healthcare Waste Management: What do the Health Workers in a Nigerian Tertiary Hospital Know and Practice

Received: 15 November 2014    Accepted: 15 January 2015    Published: 2 February 2015
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Abstract

Introduction: Healthcare waste is any solid or liquid waste that is generated in the diagnosis, treatment or immunization of human beings or animals, in research pertaining thereto, or in production or testing of biologicals. Mismanagement of healthcare waste poses risks to people and the environment. Improving the standards of healthcare waste management protects the health and safety of healthcare workers, patients, visitors to healthcare facilities and the general public. This study was carried out to determine the knowledge and practice of healthcare waste management by the healthcare workers in Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital Nnewi, Nigeria. Methods: This was a cross-sectional descriptive study. There hundred and thirty one healthcare workers who have been in the employment of Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital were recruited into the study by proportionate sampling technique. Data was collected using a semi-structured self-administered questionnaire. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 17. A p-value <0.05 was considered significant. Results: One hundred and seventy nine (54.1%) of the respondents were males while 149 (45%) were females. The commonest age group was 25-34 years (49.5%). Three hundred and twenty (96.7%) of the respondents had tertiary education, 8 (2.4%) had secondary education, while 3 (0.9%) had primary education and none of the respondents had no education at all. One hundred and twenty six (38.1%) of the respondents have worked for the hospital for 2-4 years while 4 (1.2%) have worked for greater than or equal to 20 years. The knowledge of healthcare waste management among the healthcare workers was high. But the practice was not optimal. Conclusion: The healthcare workers had a high level of knowledge regarding healthcare waste management but practice amongst the workers was not adequate.

Published in Science Journal of Public Health (Volume 3, Issue 1)
DOI 10.11648/j.sjph.20150301.30
Page(s) 114-118
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Knowledge, Practice, Healthcare Waste, Healthcare Workers

References
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[2] Imperial College London. Healthcare waste generic definitions. Available online at http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/safety/subjects/biosafety/subjects/biosafety/healthcarewastedefinitions. Accessed on 1 July 2014.
[3] Bussel Action Network (BAN). Clinical waste in developing countries. Available online at http://www.ban.org/subsidy/clinical.html. Accessed on 5 July 2014.
[4] Johannessen LM, Dijmak M, Bartone C, Hanrahan D, Boyer GM, Chandra C. Healthcare Waste Management guidance note. Washington DC: The World Bank, 2000:64.
[5] Simonsen L, Kane A, Lloyd J, Zaffran M and Kane M. Unsafe injections in developing world and transmission of bloodborne pathogens: a review. Bulletin of the World Health Organisation, 1999; 77 (10): 789-800.
[6] Ferreira V. Teixeira MR. Assessing the medical waste management practices and associated risk perceptions in Algarve hospitals Portugal. www.iswa.it/materiali/iswa_apesb_2009/1-356paper_long.pdf. Accessed on 1 June 2014.
[7] Escaf M, Shurtleff S. A program for reducing biomedical waste: the Wellesley hospital experience. Canadian Journal of Infection Control, 1996; 11(1): 7-11.
[8] Ramokate T, Basu D. Healthcare waste management at an academic hospital: Knowledge and practices of doctors and nurses. South African Medical Journal, 2009; 99(6): 444-445.
[9] Shallini S. Awareness about Bio-Medical Waste Management among Healthcare Personnel of some Important Medical Centers in Agra. International Journal of Environmental Science and Development, 2010; 1(3): 251-255.
[10] Tejas R, Rajaram D, Shalini S, Hemanth, Pruthvish. Knowledge, Attitude and Practices of Paramedical staff regarding Healthcare waste management. Presented at the 2nd National Conference on Students Medical Research, 9-10 January 2009, Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram.
[11] Saini S, Nagarajan SS, Sarma RK. Knowledge , Attitude and Practices of Bio-Medical Waste Management amongst staff of a Tertiary level Hospital in India. Journal of the Academy of Hospital Administration, 2005; 17(2): 1-12.
[12] Shafee M, Kastuwar NB, Nirupama N. Study of Knowledge, Attitude and Practices Regarding Biomedical waste among Paramedical workers. Indian Journal of Community Medicine, 2010; 35(2): 369-370.
[13] Massrouje HTN. Medical waste and health workers in Gaza governorates. Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal, 2001; 7(6): 1017-1024.
[14] Abah SO, Ohimain EI. Healthcare waste management in Nigeria: A case study. Journal of Public Health Epidemiology, 2011; 3(3): 99-110.
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[17] Phengxay S, Okumura J, Miyoshi M, Sakisaka K, Kuroiwa C, Phengxay M. Healthcare Waste Management in Lao PDR:A case study. Waste Management and Research, 2005;23 (6): 571-581.
[18] Mostafa GM, Shazly MM, Sherief WI. Development of a waste management protocol based on assessment of knowledge and practice of healthcare personnel in surgical departments. Waste Management, 2009; 29(1): 430-439.
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Cite This Article
  • APA Style

    Emmanuel Chukwunonye Azuike, Echendu Dolly Adinma, Simeon Achunam Nwabueze, Ebele Dabeluchukwu Azuike, Victor Ahoma Mbanuzuru, et al. (2015). Healthcare Waste Management: What do the Health Workers in a Nigerian Tertiary Hospital Know and Practice. Science Journal of Public Health, 3(1), 114-118. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjph.20150301.30

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    ACS Style

    Emmanuel Chukwunonye Azuike; Echendu Dolly Adinma; Simeon Achunam Nwabueze; Ebele Dabeluchukwu Azuike; Victor Ahoma Mbanuzuru, et al. Healthcare Waste Management: What do the Health Workers in a Nigerian Tertiary Hospital Know and Practice. Sci. J. Public Health 2015, 3(1), 114-118. doi: 10.11648/j.sjph.20150301.30

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    AMA Style

    Emmanuel Chukwunonye Azuike, Echendu Dolly Adinma, Simeon Achunam Nwabueze, Ebele Dabeluchukwu Azuike, Victor Ahoma Mbanuzuru, et al. Healthcare Waste Management: What do the Health Workers in a Nigerian Tertiary Hospital Know and Practice. Sci J Public Health. 2015;3(1):114-118. doi: 10.11648/j.sjph.20150301.30

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  • @article{10.11648/j.sjph.20150301.30,
      author = {Emmanuel Chukwunonye Azuike and Echendu Dolly Adinma and Simeon Achunam Nwabueze and Ebele Dabeluchukwu Azuike and Victor Ahoma Mbanuzuru and Uzoamaka Ugochinyere Epundu and Kenechukwu Grace Enwonwu and Nkiru Ifeoma Chikezie and Chioma Chetachukwu Ajator and Emeka Michael Onebunne and Darlington Chukwudinma Obi},
      title = {Healthcare Waste Management: What do the Health Workers in a Nigerian Tertiary Hospital Know and Practice},
      journal = {Science Journal of Public Health},
      volume = {3},
      number = {1},
      pages = {114-118},
      doi = {10.11648/j.sjph.20150301.30},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjph.20150301.30},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.sjph.20150301.30},
      abstract = {Introduction: Healthcare waste is any solid or liquid waste that is generated in the diagnosis, treatment or immunization of human beings or animals, in research pertaining thereto, or in production or testing of biologicals. Mismanagement of healthcare waste poses risks to people and the environment. Improving the standards of healthcare waste management protects the health and safety of healthcare workers, patients, visitors to healthcare facilities and the general public. This study was carried out to determine the knowledge and practice of healthcare waste management by the healthcare workers in Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital Nnewi, Nigeria. Methods: This was a cross-sectional descriptive study. There hundred and thirty one healthcare workers who have been in the employment of Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital were recruited into the study by proportionate sampling technique. Data was collected using a semi-structured self-administered questionnaire. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 17. A p-value <0.05 was considered significant. Results: One hundred and seventy nine (54.1%) of the respondents were males while 149 (45%) were females. The commonest age group was 25-34 years (49.5%). Three hundred and twenty (96.7%) of the respondents had tertiary education, 8 (2.4%) had secondary education, while 3 (0.9%) had primary education and none of the respondents had no education at all. One hundred and twenty six (38.1%) of the respondents have worked for the hospital for 2-4 years while 4 (1.2%) have worked for greater than or equal to 20 years. The knowledge of healthcare waste management among the healthcare workers was high. But the practice was not optimal. Conclusion: The healthcare workers had a high level of knowledge regarding healthcare waste management but practice amongst the workers was not adequate.},
     year = {2015}
    }
    

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  • TY  - JOUR
    T1  - Healthcare Waste Management: What do the Health Workers in a Nigerian Tertiary Hospital Know and Practice
    AU  - Emmanuel Chukwunonye Azuike
    AU  - Echendu Dolly Adinma
    AU  - Simeon Achunam Nwabueze
    AU  - Ebele Dabeluchukwu Azuike
    AU  - Victor Ahoma Mbanuzuru
    AU  - Uzoamaka Ugochinyere Epundu
    AU  - Kenechukwu Grace Enwonwu
    AU  - Nkiru Ifeoma Chikezie
    AU  - Chioma Chetachukwu Ajator
    AU  - Emeka Michael Onebunne
    AU  - Darlington Chukwudinma Obi
    Y1  - 2015/02/02
    PY  - 2015
    N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjph.20150301.30
    DO  - 10.11648/j.sjph.20150301.30
    T2  - Science Journal of Public Health
    JF  - Science Journal of Public Health
    JO  - Science Journal of Public Health
    SP  - 114
    EP  - 118
    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    SN  - 2328-7950
    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjph.20150301.30
    AB  - Introduction: Healthcare waste is any solid or liquid waste that is generated in the diagnosis, treatment or immunization of human beings or animals, in research pertaining thereto, or in production or testing of biologicals. Mismanagement of healthcare waste poses risks to people and the environment. Improving the standards of healthcare waste management protects the health and safety of healthcare workers, patients, visitors to healthcare facilities and the general public. This study was carried out to determine the knowledge and practice of healthcare waste management by the healthcare workers in Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital Nnewi, Nigeria. Methods: This was a cross-sectional descriptive study. There hundred and thirty one healthcare workers who have been in the employment of Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital were recruited into the study by proportionate sampling technique. Data was collected using a semi-structured self-administered questionnaire. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 17. A p-value <0.05 was considered significant. Results: One hundred and seventy nine (54.1%) of the respondents were males while 149 (45%) were females. The commonest age group was 25-34 years (49.5%). Three hundred and twenty (96.7%) of the respondents had tertiary education, 8 (2.4%) had secondary education, while 3 (0.9%) had primary education and none of the respondents had no education at all. One hundred and twenty six (38.1%) of the respondents have worked for the hospital for 2-4 years while 4 (1.2%) have worked for greater than or equal to 20 years. The knowledge of healthcare waste management among the healthcare workers was high. But the practice was not optimal. Conclusion: The healthcare workers had a high level of knowledge regarding healthcare waste management but practice amongst the workers was not adequate.
    VL  - 3
    IS  - 1
    ER  - 

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Author Information
  • Department of Community Medicine, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Nnewi, Anambra State, Nigeria

  • Department of Community Medicine, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Nnewi, Anambra State, Nigeria

  • Department of Community Medicine, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Nnewi, Anambra State, Nigeria

  • Department of Nursing Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, College of Health Sciences, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State, Nigeria

  • Department of Community Medicine, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Nnewi, Anambra State, Nigeria

  • Department of Community Medicine, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Nnewi, Anambra State, Nigeria

  • Department of Community Medicine, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Nnewi, Anambra State, Nigeria

  • Department of Community Medicine, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Nnewi, Anambra State, Nigeria

  • Department of Community Medicine, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Nnewi, Anambra State, Nigeria

  • Department of Community Medicine, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Nnewi, Anambra State, Nigeria

  • Department of Community Medicine, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Nnewi, Anambra State, Nigeria

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