Health care waste management in community-based care: experiences of community health workers in low resource communities in South Africa

BMC Public Health
Lydia Hangulu, Olagoke Akintola

Abstract

In South Africa, community health workers (CHWs) working in community-based care (CBC) programmes provide care to patients most of whom are living with HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis (TB). Although studies have shown that the caregiving activities provided by the CHWs generate health care waste (HCW), there is limited information about the experiences of CHWs on health care waste management (HCWM) in CBC. This study explored HCWM in CBC in Durban, South Africa from the perspectives CHWs. We used three ethnographic approaches to collect data: focus group discussions, participant observations and informal discussions. Data was collected from 85 CHWs working in 29 communities in the Durban metropolis, South Africa. Data collection took place from July 2013 to August 2014. CHWs provided nursing care activities to patients many of whom were incontinent or bedridden. Some the patients were living with HIV/AIDS/TB, stroke, diabetes, asthma, arthritis and high blood pressure. These caregiving activities generate sharps and infectious waste but CHWs and family members did not segregate HCW according to the risk posed as stipulated by the HCWM policy. In addition, HCW was left with domestic waste. Major barriers to proper HCWM identified by C...Continue Reading

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Citations

Dec 6, 2018·International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health·Thobile Zikhathile, Harrison Atagana
Jun 27, 2019·International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health·Foluke C OlaniyiTakalani G Tshitangano
Jul 23, 2021·Journal of Basic and Clinical Physiology and Pharmacology·Olugbemi T OlaniyanOlugbenga Eweoya
Sep 21, 2021·Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association·Thais SilvaSimone Machado Santos
Sep 29, 2021·Waste Management & Research : the Journal of the International Solid Wastes and Public Cleansing Association, ISWA·Gabriel Kalombe KyombaGuillaume Mbela Kiyombo

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Methods Mentioned

BETA
amputations
SANS

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