| dc.description.abstract | Health care waste management is among the areas covered in the curriculum during training of all health workers. However, the practice is largely ignored by most health workers. This predispose health workers and patients to injuries hence high infection rates. Such high infection rates results into high morbidity rates and hence high mortality rates. The study employed a descriptive cross sectional design and quantitative methods of data collection. The study targeted 60 health workers who were aged 20 years and above and were selected by a convenient sampling method. According to the study, majority of the respondent 37 (62 %) mentioned cholera, Hepatitis B and HI V/AIDS as the commonest diseases transmitted by poorly managed health care waste. However 6 (10 %) mentioned measles, Hepatitis B and HI V/AIDS while only 2 (3 %) mentioned cholera, measles and mumps which showed a knowledge gap among some health workers. Majority of the respondents 34 (57 %) had never attended any continuing medical education or workshop on HCWM and although the 26 (43 %) had attended them, they only attended it once. The reason for not attending these course/workshops was that they were not offered opportunities to attend them. The factors that hindered proper waste management were noted as; lack of collection containers 40(67%), while the 15 (25 %) mentioned negligence of health workers and inadequate knowledge.
In conclusion, knowledge, attitudes and practices affected health workers during I-JCWM. Therefore, government, hospital administrators and others concerned bodies should make sure that FICWM is practiced by all health workers. | en_US |
