Refuse management

Refuse management

Waste management is still a big threat in Uganda.. But did you know that waste is useful?!

Improper waste disposal is unfortunately a common problem in Uganda, both in rural and urban areas. It causes a number of negative consequences, such as breeding of vectors (e.g. mosquitoes) which carry diseases, water/ground contamination, fire outbreaks, road blockages, foul smells, unsightly environment and general environmental degradation, which in turn contribute to global warming, among others. At the same time this causes economic loss at household, local, national and international levels in term of expenditure for disease treatment, disinfestations, and efforts for cleaning and improving the environment. Yet this situation is not being adequately addressed, as there is absolutely little support from both the local and national government, as well as from communities at large to tackle the problem.
Unfortunately there is no clear policy about waste management in the country, or, if some regulations are present, they are not being enforced as they should. Also people are still quite ignorant about it and are not properly guided on waste management.

This situation is producing gaps in waste management in Uganda - our beloved country! - which is rich of a number of environmental resources which should be properly protected for the well-being of its people! Especially in rural areas, communities often rely on a delicate balance of natural resources and they should be advised on how to better protect them.

Waste can be of your benefits, manage it well and use it!
Despite the problems caused by waste management, we often forget that indeed waste can be used for other purposes bringing about benefits. Recycling waste, which is not a common practice in Uganda, is a very useful activity, applied in several countries worldwide. This leads to reduction on the volume of waste produces and the re-use of waste for products like fertilizers, bio gas, paper, metal and many others for the benefit of the community.

Waste can be well recycled when the following steps are observed:

• Carrying out waste sampling and analysis

• Ensure waste segregation, like biodegradable and non biodegradable or infectious and non infectious wastes which will give ways for proper storage. 
• Ensure proper treatment and distribution for re-use
•  Apply proper waste collection, storage and disposal

Ways forward to improve on the situation

Waste management involves some technicalities but it also includes principles of general knowledge on environmental protection, which can be easily put in practice by the people, when they are properly informed. Unfortunately at the national and local levels, not enough attention is given to this problem and communities, local authorities and government continue to keep the issue of waste management out of their priorities. This has made the magnitude of the problem to increase, resulting in the many problems mentioned before.

However, besides promoting waste recycling, there are other different ways to address the situation at the general level: 

• Conducting mass sensitization of the communities to change their attitude of indiscriminate disposal of waste through behaviour change. They can only change when they know the disadvantages of indiscriminate disposal of waste and the benefits of safe waste management and recycling. .. Let’s try it, it has worked in other countries!

• Building the capacities and knowledge of the public health staff especially in the local districts by providing them with more technical advises on waste management, e.g. the correct steps in waste recycling and the benefits of the recycled products for the communities, so that they can be fully equipped to conduct behavioural change campaigns... Knowledge is power!

• Increasing the number of public health staff at district level in order to strengthen the enforcement of public health acts and improve the entire management of waste in the local community.. If we are more, we can do a better job!
• Strengthening and implementing the policy on waste management, which needs intervention from both the technical, policy and enforcement officers.. everyone is needed!

Now, a question!

How can we improve on this situation in other ways?  And can you give us other examples of recycling waste or un-used stuff?  Share your ideas!

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The photo below shows waste damped in the middle of town (the market area) in Pader town in North Uganda.

Management of medical waste in health institutions

 The picture above shows an incinerator which is being used for infectious wastes management and it is found in our biggest health facility in Pader district. I am wondering if staff who dispose off this wastes is trained or untrained medical personnel! I think there is need for capacity building to this staff on waste management. What are your views?

  

Medical waste management  is still a big challenge in our country at all levels, both in public and private health institutions, and it is important that government and public health institutions can  manage and handle it well.

• How do you think it is possible for the private health institutions (clinics, pharmacies, drug shops) to manage or handle this waste well ?

• If the above incinerator is where public health facility dispose off  their medical waste, where do private health institutions (clinics, pharmacies, drug shops, etc.) dispose off their infectious/medical wastes and how?

These issues raise fears that our environment is not safe and the population living around is in danger or at risk of infections, environmental degradation and many other consequences due to indiscriminate disposal of medical  wastes.

The picure below is taken at the same health center where the above incinerator is found. See how medical wastes are damped at the verandah of the dispensing room. Most of it is unused condoms.

This leads me to ask if these condoms have expired. If so, why were they kept in the store until they expired without giving them out to the community or to the young people in the district who are most at risk of contracting HIV infection, so that they can be used in the fight against HIV rather than being useless? 

According to a recent study carried out on accessibility of health services by youths in Uganda, most youths feel shy to go for services like collection of condoms and other reproductive health services. So now, I call upon all the youths to feel free and go for these services in health facilities.

My appeal to fellow health workers:

•  Let's sensitize the community on the services available in health facilities so that we join our efforts in the fight against HIV; 

         Disposed condoms and other medical waste in health centers in Uganda






Let's segregate medical wastes and dispose off appropriately. Remember, medical wastes are very dangerous to our environment and very infectious to our people.

Medical waste can result in indiscriminate disposed waste leading to negative consequences. In addition, the infection rate of HIV in Uganda has gone up to 9% among youths but condoms which would protect them from getting HIV&AIDS and sexually transmitted diseses are being disposed off in unsanitary manner. In addition, the local government has spent a lot of money in procuring and purchasing these condoms.

Concerns;

1. Why are youths not accessing these condoms for use?

    2. What can be done to improve on this kind of situation ?