The Effects of Poor Personal and Environmental Hygiene on Patient Recovery in Bwari Local Government Area Abuja
CHAPTER ONE
Objectives of the study
The purpose of this study is to investigate the health recovery problems associated with poor personal and environmental hygiene in Bwari LGA.
Specific Objectives
- To investigate the diseases that affect humans due to poor personal and environmental hygiene.
- To describe the measures which the health facilities (Ministry of Health) have put in place to minimize the challenges of patient recovery associated with improper waste management.
- To explore possible sustainable mitigation measures to challenges of improper waste management in Bwari LGA.
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
INTRODUCTION
This chapter focuses on different perspectives that different scholars/researchers have given on poor personal and environmental hygiene. Data and work done by others be review. The literature review will be conducted through empirical perspectives. Mainly research findings shall be reviewed.
Management of solid waste at a global scale
Solid waste management has been described as a cornerstone to the prevention of communicable diseases as well as the creation of beauty in towns and cities (Flintoff, 2015). Poor management of solid waste adversely affects nature resulting into environmental degradation the eventually leads to ill health for the people. The visual offensiveness of street litter and the destruction of beauty of the countryside by uncontrolled dumping of solid waste are distressing. The ramifications of improperly disposing of waste products are immense. Not only does improper garbage disposal turn the environment into a nasty, polluted cesspool but it also has the potential of making people sick. The improper disposal of solid waste can lead to severe health outcomes by creating the environment for the proliferation of vectors such as rats, cockroaches and mosquitoes. Further, improper waste disposal can lead to the pollution of the air and water sources leading to such diseases as respiratory tract infections (RTIs) cholera, dysentery and typhoid fever. It can cause skin conditions like scabies and Trachoma (a preventable eye disease in which the eyelashes eventually invert, leading to blindness). Parasites living in dirty water can cause diseases like dracunculiasis and schistosomiasis. (Riquelme ; Méndez; & Smith; 2016) In most developing countries the major problem in towns and cities is the poor and uncoordinated planning of residential and commercial areas. Lack of planning often shows itself in the form of inadequate provision of social services. This in turn encourages indiscriminate dumping of solid waste. The spontaneous settlements are relatively a new phenomenon which is giving rise to a number of sanitary problems in most developing countries, one of them being solid waste management. These informal settlements are often situated outside the boundaries of the cities and towns but are functionally part of the city because the majority of the inhabitants earn their living in the city (UNEP, 1995). Sanitary conditions in urban settlements are frequently worse than those in remote rural areas.
A lot has been said, written, and demonstrated about the inadequacies in solid waste management and its associated problems. According to the United Nations Conference on Human Settlement report, one third to one-half of solid waste generated within most cities in low- and middle-income countries, of which Nigeria is no exception, are not collected. They usually end up as illegal dumps on streets, open spaces, and waste lands (UNCHS, 1996).
Despite the importance of adequate solid waste management to the urban environment, the performance of many city authorities in this respect leaves much to be desired. According to Malombe (1993), irregular services rendered to producers of refuse by municipal councils compel them to find ways of disposing of refuse. He observed that the main methods adopted by the producers are burning, composting, or indiscriminate dumping.
This is very pertinent in Nigeria where waste management services are largely inefficient and ineffective. It is estimated that about 83% of the population dump their refuse in either authorised or unauthorised sites in their neighbourhood, and due to weak capacity to handle solid waste, unsanitary conditions are created (Benneh et al., 1993).
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Introduction
The overview of this chapter is to discuss the procedures and methodology that will be used in data collection and analysis. The aspects discussed include research design, study site and population, sampling and sample size, data collection methods and analysis. The ethical matters will also be considered here. Finally, the chapter concludes with the limitations of the study.
Research Design
Both qualitative and quantitative methods were used to generate data for the study. Qualitative methods were used to evaluate and understand the waste management process and this gave an opportunity to use multiple source of evidence which increased validity and reliability in the findings to identify the bottle neck issues embedded within the process. Interviews, observation and interpretation of texts, including in-formal discussions were the major qualitative methods adopted. Quantitative methods adopted were the use of questionnaires.
A case study design was adopted in this study. According to Rangaih (2012), a case study is an all inclusive research method that uses source of evidence to analyse or evaluate specific phenomenon. Based on this definition, the study used to a case study design as it allowed in depth study on the subject.
Both qualitative and quantitative methods were used to generate data for the study. Qualitative methods were used to evaluate and understand the waste management process and this gave an opportunity to use multiple source of evidence which increased validity and reliability in the findings to identify the bottle neck issues embedded within the process. Interviews, observation and interpretation of texts, including in-formal discussions were the major qualitative methods adopted. Quantitative methods adopted were the use of questionnaires.
A case study was helpful to facilitate an in-depth analysis of the findings and logical explanations but also help in yielding qualitative data.
CHAPTER FOUR
PRESENTATION OF FINDINGS
Introduction
The chapter presents the data collected from the questionnaires, interviews as well as observation on the impact of poor personal and environmental hygiene on patient recovery in Bwari LGA in Bwari of Abuja district, Nigeria. Data is presented in tabular and explanations given. The tables and graphs were used because they are easy and simple to follow. A brief explanation has been given to each table at the bottom.
CHAPTER FIVE
CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1 Conclusion
The research conducted detected numerous factors and constraints that negatively impact on patient recovery due to improper dumping of solid waste in Bwari LGA. Provision of waste containers in the markets, waste collection vehicles and other logistics could prevent indiscriminate waste dumping, burning and other forms of waste disposal to curb the menace of environmental hazards solid waste generates. Introduction of good integrated waste management system could promote more recycling of waste materials into compost, bio energy and other forms of raw materials that could be used by industries as well as reducing environmental pollution. These can be achieved if AMAC focuses attention more on securing the dumpsite by increasing security management, incorporating prudent policies as well as allocating enough funds to conduct community sensitisation and conducts disease awareness campaigns on a regular basis in corroboration with Public health office for all operations to work efficiently to achieve formidable result. Introduction of Public Private Partnership (PPP) in the waste management sector could also help to address some technical, economic and financial challenges in solid waste management.
Government has come up with measures which has led to disease control this is evident that Nigeria has not experience cholera cases in the year 2019 to 2023. Hygiene measure in community and health facilities have also been put in place.
5.2 Recommendations
The study however has finalised by providing policy recommendations on how to improve welfare of city’s poor under the current development framework and the discussion of the recommendations is shaped by different social protection conceptual frameworks.
- Ministry health should start early community sensitization for them to catch up with other areas, which comes unpassable during rainy season.
- members of the public in the Waste Management Districts should be educated on the policy guidelines regulating the operations of private companies collecting garbage
- Public health team to distribute chlorine on time in the community for water treatment in order to overcome cholera.
- Sensitization of cholera, typhoid fever and malaria should be an on-going thing not when rainy season is near.
- Abuja Council to engage other stakeholders like private sectors in terms of Garbage collection in the community and dumpsite management
- On preventive measures, Government should put hand pump boreholes in areas where they use shallow wells waters for cooking and drinking.
- The government must establish community health education centres where members of the community can access information regarding proper solid waste disposal and diseases
- Families must be assisted in determining what is going on in their household which can be led to disease outbreak and tremendous restructuring, rethinking, shift the culture in the community and the culture we have at approaching the
- Scavengers should not be encouraged at the dumpsite
- Conduct waste management review meetings at the dumpsite and encourage physical check by AMAC management in corroboration with health facilities.
- Train community-based volunteers who will be used for continuous sensitisation on the impact of improper solid waste disposal on patient recovery.
- In order to attract successful private investment in solid waste management, AMAC need to establish a strategic framework tailored to local conditions
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