Hospital Waste Management: An Overview of the Situation in Health Districts outside Yaounde in the Centre Region, Cameroon

BackgroundHospital waste management is an important process that must be handled with care. This is because of the potential risks it represents for human health and the environment. A good understanding of the processes and legislation involved is an important asset, especially in developing countries. In order to assess the level of application of regulations, this study describes the quality of hospital waste management in health districts outside Yaounde in the Centre region. MethodologyA descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in public health facilities of 24 Health Districts in the Centre Region from February 1 to March 31, 2024. Sampling was consecutive and non-exhaustive. Data were collected using a Google form from health facility managers and/or staff in charge of hospital hygiene. The data was coded and analyzed using R Statistics version 4.3.1. ResultsA total of 61 participants coming from 20 Health Districts of the Central Region were enrolled in the study. With a sex ratio (M/F) of 0.9, most of the participants were paramedical staff. Less than 10% of the participants were Medical-sanitary technician. Most of the respondents reported that waste was sorted at source. However, nearly half (45%) carried out regular checks at this stage. More than two-thirds of responded (78%) reported that household waste was packed in buckets and black bags. More than half of the infectious waste was packaged in bin buckets (57%). More than one-third (39%) of the waste was collected daily. The vast majority (93%) reported that they disposed of waste on site. Nearly 5% reported disposing of waste in a public landfill. A small proportion (7.3%) of health facilities had an incinerator. ConclusionDespite the efforts made, there are still significant shortcomings in the hospital waste management strategy of the health facilities visited. Stakeholders need technical, financial and material support if they are to meet international standards.