WASTESMANAGEMENTPRACTICEANDITSCORRELATIONS WITHSEROPREVALENCEOFHEPATITISBANDCVIRUSES AMONGTHESCAVENGERSINKWARASTATE,NIGERIA  

2022-03-23
SolidwastemanagementinNigeriahasbeenamajorconcerntostakeholders duetoinefficientcollectionandunsafedisposal.InIlorin,thecapitalofKwara state,theproblem ofwastesisbecomingalarmingbecausethemorethese wastesareevacuatedthemoretheyaregeneratedonadailybasis.Thus,the issueofsolidwastesituationinKwaraState,tosaytheleast,isquitedistressing. Thisstudyaddressed issuesrelating to wastemanagementeffectiveness, perceptionofresidencetocentralwastestorageandthepotentialriskinwaste scavengingwork.Wastesscavengingisbelievedtoposegreatriskofinfection withHIV,hepatitisBandhepatitisCparticularlyfrom hazardoushealthcare waste(HHCW),hencetheneedtoassesstheseroprevalenceofHepatitisBand CVirusanditsrelationshipwithwastesscavenginginKwaraState.Acrosssectionalstudywasconductedamongthescavengersinthethreesenatorial districts,residentslivingclosetocentralwastesstorage,wastescontractors and EnvironmentalHealth Officers (EHO) working in Kwara State. In accomplishingtheseobjectives,primarydatasourceswereusedandthedata werecollectedviaquestionnaires,interviews,bloodtestandfieldobservations. 240scavengers,120households,30wastescontractorsand32EHOsare respondents ...