Management of face masks driven by the COVID-19 pandemic, possible implications and proposed policies: A household perspective

Abstract

Poor management of infectious waste in households poses severe health and environmental threats. This study was conducted in the Kassena-Nankana East Municipality of Ghana to assess the management of waste face masks/PPEs used in the prevention of the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic at the household level. Information was elicited from 150 households and two (2) institutions in charge of waste management to elicit information on the generation, management practices, and challenges in handling waste face masks/PPEs in the area. The study estimates that about 107,322 face masks are used daily in the area. Also, the rate of awareness of COVID-19 was strongly related (p = 0.002) to the generated volume of PPEs wasted. The need for face masks/PPEs as protection against COVID-19 largely influenced the rate of PPE waste generation (p = 0.005). However, the study found that 56% of households faced challenges in handling waste PPEs. Among them, 47% burned PPEs separately, 16% burned them with regular waste, and 27% discarded them with household waste. Improved waste management practices are needed to address these issues. Although there was no significant statistical association between age, gender, or occupation and awareness of face masks, there were some observed differences in awareness levels. The odds of respondents aged 18–25 being aware of face masks were 1.273 times greater than those aged 35 and older, while the odds of respondents aged 26–34 being aware of face masks were 2.181 times greater than those aged 35 and older. However, these differences may not be statistically significant. It is recommended that enhancing waste management procedures and educating people on the proper disposal of waste PPEs will be effective in the management of waste PPEs.