Impact of Improper Municipal Solid and Liquid Waste Management on the Health of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Maiduguri, Borno State
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/Keywords:
Impact, Improper, Solid and Liquid Waste Management, Health, Internally Displaced Persons.Abstract
Improper municipal waste management has contributed to the spread of diseases and vectors in Maiduguri Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps. While previous studies have linked the solid waste management to disease prevalence, limited attention has been given to liquid waste, which may may have a more direct impact on health outcomes. The study therefore examined (i) municipal solid waste management (ii) municipal liquid Waste Management and (iii) their combined affects the health of IDPs. A mixed method approach involving physical measurement, GPS, personal observations, focus group discussion and structured questionnaires was employed to determine the generation, collection, disposal methods and disease prevalence between September 2020-August, 2021. Findings revealed that approximately 99% and 11.3% of the total municipal solid and liquid waste generated respectively were improperly collected while 65.11% and 78.65% were improperly managed leading to an outbreak of 251,957 incidences of disease. Multiple regression analysis showed weak and statistically insignificant relationship between improper solid and liquid waste management and disease prevalence, with solid waste showing a negative relationship and liquid waste a weak relationship. The major diseases identified include malaria, sexually transmitted infections/diseases (STI/D), diarrheal diseases, Cough and bronchitis, Skin infections and typhoid. The study Concludes that although disease prevalence was high, it can not be sorely attributed to improper solid and liquid waste management. Other contributing factors include contaminated water supply, poor hygiene practises, overcrowding, vector proliferation and limited access to healthcare. It recommends integrating of waste management education into camp planning, periodic assessment of the relationship between waste management of disease prevalence as well as a continuous medical outreach programs.
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