113 lines
3.8 KiB
YAML
113 lines
3.8 KiB
YAML
abstract: 'Background: 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.
|
|
|
|
Methods: 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.
|
|
|
|
Results: 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 CHWs
|
|
|
|
include, lack of assistance from family members in assisting patients to
|
|
|
|
use the toilet or change diapers and removing HCW from homes, irregular
|
|
|
|
waste collection by waste collectors, inadequate water for practicing
|
|
|
|
hygiene and sanitation, long distance between the house and the toilets
|
|
|
|
and poor conditions of communal toilets and pit latrines. As a result of
|
|
|
|
these barriers, HCW was illegally dumped along roads or in the bush,
|
|
|
|
burnt openly and buried within the yards. Liquid HCW such as vomit,
|
|
|
|
urine and sputum were disposed in open spaces near the homes.
|
|
|
|
Conclusion: Current policies on primary health care (PHC) and HCWM in
|
|
|
|
South Africa have not paid attention to HCWM. Findings suggest the need
|
|
|
|
for primary health care reform to develop the competencies of CHWs in
|
|
|
|
HCWM. In addition, PHC and HCWM policies should address the
|
|
|
|
infrastructure deficit in low resource communities. In order for
|
|
|
|
low-and-middle-income-countries (LMICs) to develop effective community
|
|
|
|
health worker programmes, there is a need for synergies in PHC and HCWM
|
|
|
|
policies.'
|
|
affiliation: 'Hangulu, L (Corresponding Author), Univ KwaZulu Natal, Discipline Psychol,
|
|
Hlth Promot Postdoctoral Programme, MTB Ground Floor,1X09, ZA-4041 Durban, South
|
|
Africa.
|
|
|
|
Hangulu, Lydia, Univ KwaZulu Natal, Discipline Psychol, Hlth Promot Postdoctoral
|
|
Programme, MTB Ground Floor,1X09, ZA-4041 Durban, South Africa.
|
|
|
|
Akintola, Olagoke, Univ KwaZulu Natal, Discipline Psychol, Hlth Promot Programme,
|
|
4041King George Ave, ZA-4041 Durban, South Africa.'
|
|
article-number: '448'
|
|
author: Hangulu, Lydia and Akintola, Olagoke
|
|
author-email: lydiamudenda@gmail.com
|
|
author_list:
|
|
- family: Hangulu
|
|
given: Lydia
|
|
- family: Akintola
|
|
given: Olagoke
|
|
da: '2023-09-28'
|
|
doi: 10.1186/s12889-017-4378-5
|
|
eissn: 1471-2458
|
|
files: []
|
|
journal: BMC PUBLIC HEALTH
|
|
keywords: 'Community-based care; Community health workers; Health care waste;
|
|
|
|
HIV/AIDS'
|
|
keywords-plus: GENERATION; SANITATION
|
|
language: English
|
|
month: MAY 15
|
|
number-of-cited-references: '45'
|
|
papis_id: 6bc316dd98972a88e6264bc4cb76990f
|
|
ref: Hangulu2017healthcare
|
|
times-cited: '13'
|
|
title: 'Health care waste management in community-based care: experiences of community
|
|
health workers in low resource communities in South Africa'
|
|
type: article
|
|
unique-id: WOS:000401865600003
|
|
usage-count-last-180-days: '0'
|
|
usage-count-since-2013: '10'
|
|
volume: '17'
|
|
web-of-science-categories: Public, Environmental \& Occupational Health
|
|
year: '2017'
|