Abstract
Poor waste management is a key driver of ill-health in urban settlements of developing countries. The current study aimed at assessing environmental and human health risks related to urban waste management in Yamoussoukro, the political capital of Côte d’Ivoire. We undertook trans-disciplinary research within an Ecohealth approach, comprised of a participatory workshop with stakeholders and mapping of exposure patterns. A total of 492 randomly selected households participated in a cross-sectional survey. Waste deposit sites were characterised and 108 wastewater samples were subjected to laboratory examinations. The physico-chemical parameters of the surface water (temperature, pH, conductivity, potential oxidise reduction, BOD5, COD, dissolved oxygen, nitrates, ammonia and total Kendal nitrogen) did not comply with World Health Organization standards of surface water quality. Questionnaire results showed that malaria was the most commonly reported disease. Diarrhoea and malaria were associated with poor sanitation. Households having dry latrines had a higher risk of diarrhoea (odds ratio (OR) = 1.8, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.2–2.7) compared to latrines with septic tanks and also a higher risk for malaria (OR = 1.9, 95% (CI) 1.1–3.3). Our research showed that combining health and environmental assessments enables a deeper understanding of environmental threats and disease burdens linked to poor waste management. Further study should investigate the sanitation strategy aspects that could reduce the environmental and health risks in the study area.
Highlights
Sanitation deficiency causes environmental and health threats in developing countries
The results showed that the consumption of fresh vegetables once a month, namely of salad, cucumbers, and tomatoes, by the surveyed households was estimated at 75.6% for salad, 85.8% for cucumber, and 95.5%
The economic development in these countries is associated with poor waste management and agricultural practices, which contribute to the degradation of water quality [30]
Summary
Sanitation deficiency causes environmental and health threats in developing countries. Managing sanitation properly contributes to reducing mortality from diarrhoeal diseases by 65% and morbidity by. About 2.2 million people in developing countries die yearly from diseases associated with lack of safe drinking water, lack of adequate sanitation and poor hygiene [1]. Sanitation management and infrastructure selection must cope with economic development and population growth [2]. In Somalia, Bella and Vaccari stated that the solutions proposed for waste management are often a mere copy of technical devices adopted in developed countries and that they are not selected on the basis of the actual context of where they are going to be used [4]. Waste management has different components, such as municipal authorities, local government, populations, and communication plans [5,6]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
