Abstract
Background: Solid medical waste (SMW) is generated from the healthcare industry but can also be found in households when activity involving patient care occurs. Its hazardous properties require special treatment to minimize hazards to the environment. To achieve this, SMW must be safely diverted from house-holds using a systemic approach, which should be informed by the quantities generated and factors associated with generation. Objective: To characterize household SMW in terms of quantity and composition and to describe the factors associated with its generation. Methods: Manual sorting of household waste was conducted in 60 households to measure quantities of SMW and its components in Ga South Municipal Assembly, Accra, Ghana. Sample collection took place in the wet season (October, 2014) and dry season (December, 2014/January 2015). Rates of generation and percentage composition computed. Factors influencing generation were evaluated with non-parametric tests and quantile regression analysis. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Results: Per capita generation of SMW was 1.77 × 10-3 kg/person/day. Pharmaceutical waste and sharps waste comprised 98% and 2% of SMW respectively. Generation rates were significantly higher in the wet season than in the dry season (z = 3.129, p = 0.002). Households where medical complaints were reported generated significantly less SMW at the 5th, 10th, 25th and 50th quantiles (β = -2.711, p = 0.001; β = -2.949; p < 0.001; β = -3.429, p < 0.001; β = -4.600, p < 0.001 respectively). Conclusion: SMW was generated in relatively small quantities in households. However, the large proportion of pharmaceuticals with mostly antibiotics raises concerns about drug resistance among other potential hazards.
Highlights
The health care industry generates waste containing pathogens, toxic heavy metals and chemicals, termed healthcare waste (HCW) [1]
42 (70.0%) households were registered under the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), 17 (28.3%) households reported medical complaints, 23 (38.3%) households had children aged below 5 years and in 48 (80.0%) households the respondents had attained secondary education or higher
Generation of solid medical waste (SMW) is influenced by medical complaints and is higher in the wet season than in the dry season
Summary
The health care industry generates waste containing pathogens, toxic heavy metals and chemicals, termed healthcare waste (HCW) [1]. The solid component of HCW arising from activities of health protection, diagnosis and treatment is called solid medical waste (SMW) [2]. The traditional domain of SMW is the healthcare industry, where waste is generated from a variety of healthcare activities. Solid medical waste (SMW) is generated from the healthcare industry but can be found in households when activity involving patient care occurs. Objective: To characterize household SMW in terms of quantity and composition and to describe the factors associated with its generation. Households where medical complaints were reported generated significantly less SMW at the 5th, 10th, 25th and 50th quantiles (β = −2.711, p = 0.001; β = −2.949; p < 0.001; β = −3.429, p < 0.001; β = −4.600, p < 0.001 respectively). The large proportion of pharmaceuticals with mostly antibiotics raises concerns about drug resistance among other potential hazards
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