Knowledge, attitudes and practices of healthcare workers about healthcare waste management at a district hospital in KwaZulu-Natal

Examining biomedical waste management knowledge and training level among health care professionals in Saudi Arabia

BACKGROUND

The rapid development of medical care innovations and the use of newer technologies have resulted in a significant rise in the quantity of waste produced per patient within health care facilities. Biomedical waste in particular has emerged as a pressing concern due to its inherent propensity to pose health hazards and cause environmental harm. The World Health Organization has identified a lack of knowledge and training as primary factors contributing to the failure of Biomedical waste management (BMWM). Thus, our study sought to examine the relationship between BMWM level of knowledge and prior training among health care professionals (HCPs) in 4 different regions in Saudi Arabia.

METHODS

Our study used a cross-sectional design to investigate the BMWM level of knowledge and prior training among HCPs in 4 different regions in Saudi Arabia. Multiple linear and logistic regression was used to assess if Biomedical waste management (MBWM) knowledge and prior tanning are significantly associated with the demographics and professional characteristics of HCPs.

RESULTS

501 HCPs participated in the study. More than half were male, the majority fell within the age range of 24 to 36 years and held a bachelor's degree. The level of BMWM knowledge among HCPs was moderate (M = 31.14, SD = 4.89) and positively associated with HCPs' prior training in BMWM, workplace environment, and overall experience in the field. Only 26% of the HCPs had received prior BMWM training, and it varied considerably by sex, geographic location, and professional experience.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study demonstrates a moderate knowledge and lack of training in BMWM among HCPs in Saudi Arabia. Thus, we recommend a national strategy for incorporating infection prevention and control methods associated with BMWM into all health care programs. Furthermore, it is imperative for health officials to enact prompt and efficient surveillance measures, as well as conduct frequent training sessions for HCPs and support personnel.

Healthcare waste management practice and associated factors among healthcare workers in public healthcare facilities of Southwest Shewa Zone, Oromia regional state, Ethiopia

Poor management of waste can cause serious disease to healthcare personnel, cleaners, waste handlers, patients and the public. An observation-supported cross-sectional study was conducted to assess healthcare waste (HCW) management practice and professional, management and resource availability-associated factors among healthcare workers of 23 public health facilities in Southwest Shewa Zone, Oromia regional state, Ethiopia, 2021. A total of 424 health workers participated in this study. The level of proper healthcare waste management (HCWM) practice was 38.4%. Lack of knowledge on different methods of healthcare waste treatment (adjusted odds ratio (AOR): 0.101, 95% confidence interval (CI) (0.042, 0.242, p < 0.05)), lack of knowledge about the types of healthcare waste (AOR: 0.136, 95% CI (0.039, 0.481, p < 0.05)), lack of knowledge on the use of different colour-coded waste bin and safety box (AOR: 0.145, 95% CI (0.040, 0.520, p < 0.05)), and healthcare workers who had no training/orientation on HCWM practice (AOR: 0.396, 95% CI (0.245, 0.639, p < 0.05)) were less likely to practice effective HCWM compared to their counterparts. The current HCWM practices in studied health facilities was inadequate. Professional knowledge and availability of training were independently associated with HCWM practice. Therefore, regular orientation during employment and on-job training on HCWM practice, regular monitoring and supervision of HCWM are important. Further research should be conducted on the area of HCWM, and its associated environmental impacts by using more strong methods and wider health facilities.

Knowledge, attitude, and perceived practice of sanitary workers on healthcare waste management: A descriptive cross-sectional study in Dodoma region,Tanzania

Introduction

Healthcare facilities produce a variety of trash that, if handled improperly, could endanger the environment, the health of patients and clients, healthcare personnel, and the general public. Health staff have been given training on infection control and healthcare waste management. It is not apparent whether similar initiatives are taken for sanitary personnel, though. By evaluating sanitary workers' knowledge, attitudes, and practices about healthcare waste treatment in the Dodoma region of Tanzania, this study sought to clarify the situation.

Methods

From March to August 2022 in Dodoma, Tanzania, a descriptive cross-sectional study using a quantitative methodology was conducted on 156 randomly chosen sanitary workers. The primary data collection instruments were structured questionnaires that were conducted by interviewers and a trash checklist that the research team created. Statistical Package for Social Sciences computer software was used to conduct a descriptive analysis of the data with a 95% confidence level and a 5% level of significance.

Results

The average age was 28 ± 6.2 years, and there were 74.4% females. Of all of the health institutions under study, 78.4% of the generated medical waste was non-infectious, whereas 21.6% of it was infectious. The share of non-infectious and infectious healthcare waste created by regional referral hospitals was 43.5% and 13.2%, respectively. While 67.8% of sanitary workers believed that handling healthcare waste was not their problem and 63.6% of sanitary workers actually displayed subpar practices of handling healthcare waste, 74.4% of sanitary workers had low understanding about handling healthcare waste. Their procedures for handling medical waste were substantially influenced by the kind of healthcare facility, sex, education, job experience, knowledge, and attitude (p < 0.05).

Conclusion

Sanitary staff members had limited understanding and thought they were less concerned with gathering, moving, and storing medical waste. To provide the highest level of health safety, national health policy and facility-based interventions must support and fund participatory waste management training that is tailored to the sociodemographic profiles of sanitary employees.

Multi-criteria evaluation of medical waste management process under intuitionistic fuzzy environment: A case study on hospitals in Turkey

Waste management has come to the fore in the whole world with the increasing impact of the Covid-19 pandemic along with concerns about human health, environmental threats, and socio-economic factors, etc. Medical waste is one of the waste types that need special management processes including particularly collection, storage, separation, and disposal. Healthcare activities create a great amount of medical waste deriving from the hospitals. This study aims to determine the hospital that carries out medical waste management in the most effective way in Erzurum, Turkey. To handle intense uncertainty in the evaluation process, the case is analyzed by Intuitionistic Fuzzy Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (IFMCDM) methods. The present study contributes to the literature by focusing on a real case problem under IF environment in a Group Decision-Making (GDM) framework. Additionally, based on the literature review and expert judgments, the evaluation criteria relevant to the case are defined in this paper. To this end, a four-phased integrated methodology that involves Intuitionistic Fuzzy Weighted Averaging (IFWA), IF Analytical Hierarchy Process (IFAHP), IF Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (IFTOPSIS) and One-Dimensional Sensitivity Analysis, is conducted. Firstly, IFWA is aimed to express the significance levels of decision makers (DMs) based on their knowledge, qualifications and experiences. Secondly, IFAHP is used to calculate the importance weights of the decision criteria and IFTOPSIS is preferred to rank the available hospitals. Then, sensitivity analysis is employed to display robustness. According to the results, the most important criteria are Qualified personnel, Health institution infrastructure, and Control of waste, respectively and the most efficient hospital is determined.

Healthcare waste management practice and its predictors among health workers in private health facilities in Ilu Aba Bor Zone, Oromia region, South West Ethiopia: a community-based cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVES

A lack of safe healthcare waste management (HCWM) practice poses a risk to healthcare staff, patients and communities. In low-income countries like Ethiopia, studies on the level of safe HCWM practices in private healthcare facilities are limited. This study was designed to assess the level of good HCWM practice and associated factors among health workers in private health facilities.

METHODS

An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted in the Ilu Aba Bor zone, South West Ethiopia. A random sample of 282 health workers from 143 private health facilities was included in the study. Data were collected using a pretested structured questionnaire that included sociodemographic characteristics, healthcare factors, knowledge assessment and an observation checklist adapted from WHO guidelines. The collected data were entered into EpiData V.3.1 and analysed with SPSS V.25.0. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with HCWM practice. Variables with a p value of <0.05 at 95% CI were declared significant.

RESULTS

More than half (58.7%) of private-sector health workers had good HCWM practice. The presence of the HCWM committee (adjusted OR (AOR)=9.6, 95% CI 4.5 to 20.6), designated healthcare waste storage site (AOR=3.0, 95% CI 1.5 to 6.5), reading the HCWM manual (AOR=4.4, 95% CI 2.2 to 9.0) and having good knowledge of HCWM (AOR=2.6, 95% CI 1.06 to 6.15) were factors associated with good HCWM practice.

CONCLUSION

About three out of five health workers in private healthcare facilities were practising good HCWM. The presence of an HCWM committee, waste management utilities, reading HCWM guidelines and knowledge of health workers were the identified factors. Health workers should read guidelines to improve their knowledge, and the presence of committees and waste management utilities in private clinics should be followed to ensure compliance with safe HCWM practice.

Healthcare Waste Segregation Practice and Associated Factors among Healthcare Professionals Working in Public and Private Hospitals, Dire Dawa, Eastern Ethiopia

Background

The key to the effective management of healthcare wastes is the segregation of the waste at the point of generation; no matter what final strategy for the treatment and disposal of wastes is selected, it is critical that waste streams are separated.

Objective

The aim of the study is to assess the practice of healthcare waste segregation and associated factors among healthcare workers at public and private hospitals in Dire Dawa, Eastern Ethiopia.

Methods

An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 280 healthcare workers from public and private hospitals. Data were collected through self-administered structured questionnaires and observation checklists. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression were used to identify factors associated with the practice of healthcare workers using SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences) version 25.

Results

This study showed that 56.4% (95% CI: 43.7-60.2) study participants had good healthcare waste segregation practices. Working in a public hospital (AOR = 0.09, 95% CI: (0.03-0.23)), working less than 40 hours a week (AOR = 4.28, 95% CI: (2.11-8.68)), adequate knowledge on healthcare waste management (AOR = 2.42, 95% CI: (1.27-4.61)), ever trained on waste management ((AOR = 2.74, 95% CI: (1.15-6.53)), the presence of guidelines, instructive posters on healthcare waste segregation ((AOR = 8.21, 95% CI: (3.84-17.55)), and availability of color-coded waste bins ((AOR = 9.53, 95% CI: (4.52-20.10)) were factors significantly associated with healthcare waste segregation practices.

Conclusion

The study revealed that healthcare waste segregation practices were unacceptably poor. It is very crucial to address the identified factors through ongoing enforcement of healthcare waste management rules and regulations, by providing training, instructive posters around the work area, and making color-coded bins available.

Healthcare Waste-A Serious Problem for Global Health

Healthcare waste (HCW) is generated in different healthcare facilities (HCFs), such as hospitals, laboratories, veterinary clinics, research centres and nursing homes. It has been assessed that the majority of medical waste does not pose a risk to humans. It is estimated that 15% of the total amount of produced HCW is hazardous and can be infectious, toxic or radioactive. Hazardous waste is a special type of waste which, if not properly treated, can pose a risk to human health and to the environment. HCW contains potentially harmful microorganisms that can be spread among healthcare personnel, hospital patients and the general public, causing serious illnesses. Healthcare personnel are the specialists especially exposed to this risk. The most common medical procedure, which pose the highest risk, is injection (i.e, intramuscular, subcutaneous, intravenous, taking blood samples). The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that around 16 billion injections are administered worldwide each year. However, if safety precautions are not followed, and needles and syringes are not properly disposed of, the risk of sharps injuries increases among medical staff, waste handlers and waste collectors. What is more, sharps injuries increase the risk of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B and C viruses (HBV/HCV), tuberculosis (TB), diphtheria, malaria, syphilis, brucellosis and other transmissions. Disposing of medical waste in a landfill without segregation and processing will result in the entry of harmful microorganisms, chemicals or pharmaceuticals into soil and groundwater, causing their contamination. Open burning or incinerator malfunctioning will result in the emission of toxic substances, such as dioxins and furans, into the air. In order to reduce the negative impact of medical waste, waste management principles should be formulated. To minimize health risks, it is also important to build awareness among health professionals and the general public through various communication and educational methods. The aim of this paper is to present a general overwiev of medical waste, its categories, the principles of its management and the risks to human health and the environment resulting from inappropriate waste management.

South African Healthcare Professionals' Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Regarding Environmental Sustainability in Healthcare: A Mixed-Methods Study

Climate change, biodiversity loss and large-scale environmental degradation are widely recognized as the biggest health threats of the 21st century, with the African continent already amongst the most severely affected and vulnerable to their further progression. The healthcare system's contribution to climate change and environmental degradation requires healthcare professionals to address environmental issues urgently. However, the foundation for context-relevant interventions across research, practice, and education is not readily available. Therefore, we conducted a convergent mixed-methods study to investigate South African healthcare professionals' knowledge, attitudes, practices, and barriers to environmental sustainability. Healthcare professionals participated in a cross-sectional questionnaire (n = 100) and in-depth semi-structured focus group discussions (n = 18). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis, respectively, and integrated to provide holistic findings. Our results confirm overwhelmingly positive attitudes and a high degree of interest in education, implementation, and taking on more corresponding responsibility, but a lack of substantial knowledge of the subject matter, and only tentative implementation of practices. Identified barriers include a lack of knowledge, resources, and policies. Further research, education, and policy development on overcoming these barriers is required. This will facilitate harnessing the extant enthusiasm and advance environmental sustainability in South Africa's healthcare practice.

Knowledge, attitude and practice towards bio-medical waste management among healthcare workers: a northern Saudi study

Background

Health care workers (HCWs) involved in day-to-day care and other healthcare activities play a significant role in biomedical waste (BMW) management. The World Health Organization stated some of the causes for the failure of BMW management, namely, lack of awareness of the health hazards related to BMW and inadequate trained HCWs in BMW management. The present study assessed knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) towards BMW management among the HCWs in northern Saudi Arabia.

Methodology

The present study assessed KAP through a self-administered and validated questionnaire. Using a multistage probability sampling method, 384 HCWs from different healthcare facilities participated in this survey. We performed binomial logistic regression analysis to find association between KAP subscales and sociodemographic characteristics. Spearman's correlation test was performed to find the strength and direction of correlation (rho) between KAP scores.

Results

Of the population studied, high knowledge, attitude, and practice scores were found in 47.1%, 65.1%, and 49.5% of the HCWs, respectively. The present study found that knowledge score was significantly higher among the age group from 30 to 39 years (ref: age less than 30 years: AOR = 2.25, 95% CI [1.05-4.85], p = 0.04) and non- Saudi nationals (ref: Saudi: AOR = 2.84, 95% CI [1.63-4.94], p < 0.001) The attitude score towards BMW management was significantly lower among the HCWs working in tertiary care settings (ref: PHC: AOR = 0.38, 95% CI [0.12-0.69], p = 0.01). Regarding the practice score, the male categories had a significantly higher score (ref: female: AOR = 1.82, 95% CI [1.19 -2.99], p = 0.02), while pharmacist (ref: physicians: AOR = 0.39, 95% CI [0.18-0.58], p = 0.02) and lab technicians (ref: physicians: AOR = 0.31, 95% CI [0.11-0.53], p = 0.02) had a significant lower practice score. The test results revealed a weak positive correlation of knowledge with the attitude scores (rho = 0.249, p = 0.001), and a moderately strong positive correlation was found between attitude and practice scores (rho = 0.432, p = 0.001).

Conclusion

This study suggests that a regular training program for the HCWs on BMW management is necessary through symposiums, role play, interactive lectures, and other feasible training methods. Furthermore, a multicentric prospective exploratory study is to be conducted in other regions of the KSA to understand the region-specific training needs of HCWs.

Biomedical waste management practices and associated factors among health care workers in the era of the covid-19 pandemic at metropolitan city private hospitals, Amhara region, Ethiopia, 2020

BACKGROUND

Biomedical waste management is an important precondition to safeguard the healthcare workers and community members, as well as the environment, from being contaminated with infectious substances. However, biomedical waste management practices during the pandemic era of COVID-19 were unknown.

OBJECTIVE

This study was aimed to assess biomedical waste management practices and associated factors among health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic era at metropolitan city private hospitals, Amhara Region, Ethiopia.

METHODS

An institutional-based cross-sectional study was conducted at metropolitan city private hospitals in Amhara Region. Simple random sampling was used to select 431 study participants. Data were collected through a self-administered questionnaire and observational checklists. The data were cleaned, coded, and entered into the Epi-data version 4.6, and then exported to SPSS version 20. for analysis. Variables with a p-value less than 0.05 were considered as significant factors in multivariable logistic regression analysis and AOR with a 95% confidence level was used to measure the strength of association.

RESULTS

The proportion of health care workers who had good practices in biomedical waste management was 49.4%. Participants who had MSc education level, [AOR = 4.20, 95% CI (1.01, 17.40)], Bachelor degree [AOR = 3.52, 95% CI (2.13, 5.82)], got training on biomedical waste management [AOR = 4.33, 95% CI (2.71, 6.93)], access to color-coded three bins in their working department [AOR = 6.24.95% CI (3.84, 10.13)] and those who had good attitude (AOR = 2.64, 95% CI (1.65, 4.22), were significantly associated with biomedical waste management practices in private hospitals.

CONCLUSION

The practice of biomedical waste management in the study area was low. Level of education, taking training on biomedical waste management, availability of color-coded three bins, and attitude of health care workers were significantly associated with biomedical waste management practices. Hence, in-service training is recommended to improve biomedical waste management practices.

Unmasking emerging issues in solid waste management: Knowledge and self-reported practices on the discarded disposable masks during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines

The COVID-19 global health crisis has resulted in the emergence of a new type of solid waste-inappropriately discarded disposable masks (DMs)-posing serious risks to the public health and to the environment. This study assessed the knowledge-("K") and self-reported practices-("P") of the general public in DM waste management. A researcher-developed instrument was utilized to gather data with a reliability coefficient index of 0.94. The survey was participated in by 13,116 online users. Pearson r and multiple linear regression were performed to test the relationship between the participants' demographic characteristics and their K and P. Results revealed that the participants obtained a weighted mean and standard deviation of 1.15±0.10, which shows that 11,597 or 88.41% are knowledgeable on solid waste disposal and management. The self-reported practices of the participants obtained weighted mean and standard deviation rating of 2.16±0.10, which is interpreted as "Always Practiced". This signifies that the participants adequately practiced the essentials in disposing DMs. Furthermore, there is a significant relationship between K and P with their demographic characteristics on disposing DMs like age, sex, level of education, annual income, and type of residence. The obtained Pearson r=-0.178 (p<.01) indicates that the level of knowledge of the participants is significantly related to the practices they apply in disposing used DMs. As a recommendation, campaigns and interventions on the proper disposal of DMs should be put forward and implemented, utilizing various social media resources and platforms that are conveniently accessible to the general public.

Healthcare waste management in the Tamale Central Hospital, northern Ghana. An assessment before the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic in Ghana

Healthcare waste (HCW) poses several environmental and public health challenges. However, much attention has not been given to its management. The present study sought to assess the healthcare waste management (HCWM) practices in the Tamale Central Hospital (TCH) by characterizing and measuring the quantities of waste generated and the associated implications. Observation of the value chain of healthcare waste management, waste quantification using a weighing scale (Top-pan-spring balance), and semi-structured interviews were used in the data collection. The study revealed that, except for sharps, there was no segregation of infectious and non-infectious waste, and healthcare waste was not treated before final disposal. The study showed that a daily record of 5.1 kg of sharps, 24.46 kg of infectious waste and 59.45 kg of general waste was generated. The maternity ward produced more general waste (14 kg), whereas the theatre generated the highest infectious waste (5.70 kg) and sharps (0.8 kg) daily. Generally, the maternity ward recorded the highest daily waste generation of 17.9 kg. The waste treatment method available in the hospital was incineration. However, the incinerator was found to be dysfunctional. Thus, an improvised method (dug pit) was used irrespective of the associated health and environmental implications. The study also revealed that the hospital did not quantify the amount of solid waste that was generated. Inadequate finance and lack of supervision were linked to the problem of poor healthcare waste management in the study area. Also, 82% of the workers mentioned that there was poor HCW segregation at the departments whereas 76% of the patients who received healthcare at the facility were unsatisfied with the HCWM practices. A strong linear relationship in the responses made was recorded. The healthcare waste management index showed that the HCWM practice at the facility was unsatisfactory as it was medium-ranked. The study, therefore, recommends that the hospital considers constructing an on-site waste treatment facility, segregate and quantify waste for effective allocation of resources for treating healthcare waste.

Optimizing Highly Infectious Disease Isolation Unit Management: Experiences From the Infectious Diseases Isolation and Research Unit, Fort Portal, Uganda

Infectious disease outbreaks on the scale of the current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic are a new phenomenon in many parts of the world. Many isolation unit designs with corresponding workflow dynamics and personal protective equipment postures have been proposed for each emerging disease at the health facility level, depending on the mode of transmission. However, personnel and resource management at the isolation units for a resilient response will vary by human resource capacity, reporting requirements, and practice setting. This study describes an approach to isolation unit management at a rural Uganda Hospital and shares lessons from the Uganda experience for isolation unit managers in low- and middle-income settings.

Inadequacies in Hospital Waste and Sewerage Management in Chattogram, Bangladesh: Exploring Environmental and Occupational Health Hazards

Bangladesh has been grappling with the issues of improper hospital waste management. To reflect the inadequacies in existing management practices and the potential implications on the environment and health, this study evaluated the Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice (KAP) of doctors and nurses in a private and a public hospital in Chattogram city via a structured questionnaire survey. At the public hospital, 20.4% of the doctors and 6% of the nurses had occupational illnesses, compared to 36% of the doctors and 26.5% of the nurses at the private hospital. At the public hospital, 67.8% of the nurses wore PPE during waste collection, compared to 17.7% in the private hospital. Hospital wastes and occupational safety are not properly dealt with in both hospitals. An inadequacy was observed in the knowledge of hospital waste management among healthcare workers. The route of hospital wastes from the sources to the end destination was also traced via interviews and focus group discussions, which revealed that disposal practices of the hospital solid waste were environmentally unsustainable. In attempts to show opportunities for environmental and health risks from the hospital wastewater, this study also investigated the quality of the wastewater and tested it for the presence of resistant enteric pathogens. E. coli and S. aureus from both hospitals showed resistance against some common antibiotics used in Bangladesh. The physicochemical properties of the samples were nearly compliant with the Bangladesh Water Quality Standards for hospital wastewater. While more robust sampling and water quality analysis are required, this study provides basic water quality indicators and scope for future research to understand the apparent significant negative impact on the environment and health.

Challenges regarding the control of environmental sources of contamination in healthcare settings in low-and middle-income countries - a narrative review

Background

Healthcare-associated infections (HAI) especially outbreaks of multi-drug-resistant organisms within hospitals are recognized as a major contributor to morbidity and mortality of hospitalized patients. The healthcare environment can act as an amplifier of HAI during outbreaks. The risk of acquiring HAI are 20 times higher in Low-and-middle-income countries.

The purpose of this article is to review the challenges associated with controlling environmental contamination in low and lower-middle income countries (LMIC), highlighting possible solutions.

Method

This is a narrative review. A literature search was carried out in Google scholar, PubMed, Science Direct, EBSCOHOST, CENGAGE, Scopus, ProQuest, Clinical Key and African journals online using the key words - Health care Associated Infections (HCAIs) in LMICs, Challenges of HAIs in LMIC, Challenges of Prevention and Control of HAIs in LMICs, Environment of care and infection transmission, Contaminated environment and HAIs.

Results

From the accessed databases, 1872 articles related to environmental sources of contamination in healthcare settings were found. Of these, only 530 articles focused on LMICs. However, only 186 articles met the inclusion criteria studies published in English, conducted between 2000 and 2019 and exploring environmental sources of contamination in LMIC healthcare settings). The sources of environmental contamination in healthcare are numerous and commonly associated with poor governance, Inadequate infrastructure, human capacity and inadequate funding. Low awareness exists at all levels as to the role of the environment in healthcare outcomes and may explain in part the low priority given for funding.

Conclusion

Leadership and trained personnel, both Infection prevention and control practitioners and cleaners are crucial to drive and sustain the process to reduce environmental contamination in healthcare environments.

Assessment of Pharmaceuticals Waste Practices Among Private Drug Retail Outlets in Ethiopia

Background: Pharmaceuticals waste is a public safety concern, resulting in a possible accidental poisoning, misuse, and environmental pollution. Thus, appropriate disposal of the damaged and expired medicines would save lives and protect the ecological system. Objective: The study was aimed to assess knowledge, attitudes, and disposal practices of pharmaceuticals waste among practitioners in private retail outlets. Method: A facility-based descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among private practitioners in retail outlets of Jimma city from November 20 to December 19, 2018. All private drug retail outlets and the respective staffs that fulfilled the eligibility criteria were included in the study. The data were collected using self-administrated questionnaires. Results: Of 106 questionnaires distributed to practitioners, 87 completed questionnaires returned, making a response rate of 82.1%. Fifty-nine (67.8%) of the participants reported that at least one type of damaged or expired medicines was present in their store. The main reasons for the damage or expiration include inappropriate storage practices, 32 (29.1%), and receiving medicines with a near expiration date, 42 (38.2%). Concerning knowledge about disposal practices, 70 (41.7%) and 47 (38.2%) of the participants, respectively, reported that safe disposal of damaged or expired medicines would prevent environmental pollution and illegal use. Regarding disposal practice, 47 (38.2%) of the respondents reported burning separately, and 24 (19.5%) of them reported burying underground. Fifty-two (59.8%) of the total participants strongly agreed that they had a responsibility to protect environmental pollution. Conclusions: The majority of the participants knew that the appropriate disposal of pharmaceuticals waste could protect human beings and ecological systems. However, a majority of the respondents disposed of the pharmaceuticals waste at the retail pharmacy.

Effectiveness of education program on hospital waste management

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to assess the effectiveness of Kuwait Infection Control Directorate educational program in improving knowledge, attitude and practices (KAP) of environmental service workers (ESWs) regarding the management of infectious and sharps waste.

Design/methodology/approach

An interventional educational pre-test/post-test study was conducted over seven months, on a sample of 102 ESWs in Farwaniya General Government Hospital, Kuwait. Educational sessions and practical training using the KAP approach were applied during the intervention phase. The KAP of the participants were assessed using a questionnaire and observation checklist in the pre- and post-intervention phases.

Findings

Improvement in all aspects of the KAP regarding infectious and sharps waste management was observed among the participants after implementation of the intervention, with a statistically significant difference between pre- and post-test results (p<0.01).

Originality/value

The applied multi-component educational program in the current study can be successfully implemented for ESWs in all government hospitals in Kuwait and other countries with similar settings.

Review of medical waste management in Jordanian health care organisations

Background/Aims

Medical waste, or clinical waste, is generated in hospitals, clinics, and pharmaceutical manufacturing as a result of the diagnosis, treatment and medicine that is being produced across the healthcare system. This waste can have a severe effect on both the environment and population health. Overall, between 75% and 90% of the waste produced by healthcare providers is non-risk general waste or domestic waste. It is therefore mandatory for healthcare organisations to have an effective medical waste management plan to eliminate real health and environmental hazards.

Methods

This article critically reviews literature that investigates the administrative procedures and collection protocols regarding medical waste.

Results

Several problems occur during the disposal of medical waste in hospitals in Jordan. The research demonstrates how effective waste management can reduce health risks and protect the environment.

Conclusion

Overall, there is a poor handling of medical waste, which extends to a lack of regulations that govern medical waste procedure.

Efficiency of Health Care Risk Waste Management in Rural Healthcare Facilities of South Africa: An Assessment of Selected Facilities in Vhembe District, Limpopo Province

Waste generated form healthcare facilities is a potential source of health risks to the public, if it is not properly handled from the point of generation to disposal. This study was conducted to assess the efficiency of healthcare risk waste (HCRW) management in Vhembe District of Limpopo Province, South Africa. Fifteen healthcare facilities were selected in Vhembe District for this study. Data were obtained through in-depth interviews, semi-structured questionnaires, observation and pictures. Qualitative data were thematically analyzed, while the quantitative data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences, version 25. In all the healthcare facilities; mismanagement of HCRW was noted at different points along the management chain. Poor segregation, overfilling of waste bins, inappropriate transportation and storage of waste in substandard storage rooms were observed in the facilities. All the waste from the district are transported to a private-owned treatment facility outside the district, where they are mainly incinerated. Enforcement of healthcare risk waste guidelines, provision of standardized equipment for temporary storage, empowerment of each healthcare facility to treat at least some of the waste, and employment of non-burn techniques for treatment of waste are recommended for more efficient management of healthcare risk waste in Vhembe District.