Wastes in One Health – African Perspective

In Africa like other parts of the world, different forms of waste, which can be biodegradable or non-biodegradable, domestic, industrial, or institutional wastes, are generated. These wastes can also be infectious waste, for example health-care waste among which are sharps waste, body part waste, chemical or pharmaceutical, radioactive, and cytotoxic waste. Several countries on African continent take waste management independent of health, yet proper waste management is part and partial of good health. That is waste management cannot be separated from health. Several infectious and non-infectious diseases are associated with poor waste management. This is more evident in developing countries which make the largest part of Africa as it is highly dominated by poor waste management systems due to poor infrastructure development. Africa is often attacked by water-borne diseases, which are due to poor management of wastes, for example diarrhea, cholera, and typhoid as they are as a result of poor disposal of fecal wastes into the environment. Malaria and bilharzia, which are still common in developing world, are also highly associated with poor unsafe waste disposal, for example the unsafe disposal of plastics and polythene into drainage channels leads to brokage that increases the breeding sites of mosquitoes and other disease-spreading organisms (vectors). The antimicrobial resistance (AMR), which is not only Africa's challenge but a global alarming issue that requires immediate actions for its control, is largely caused by improper disposal and management of wastes from hospitals, and domestic, industrial, and laboratory sources. Therefore, wastes in one health is an appropriate approach to many of Africa's health issues. With increasing population where Africa is growing at an annual rate of 2.7%, there is a pertinent need of strategies to handle the increasing levels of wastes generated on a daily basis with deliberate efforts to train citizens on proper waste management. The limited knowledge of many communities has led to burden on wastes, yet proper waste management could lead to innovations that would lead to economic transformations of societies. Waste in one health can no longer be ignored but major issue of concern to growing economies. Urban and rural communities have to be trained on the 3Rs (reduce, reuse, and recycle) and innovations should be promoted. Integrated waste management strategies should be encouraged and focused on waste generators, entrepreneurs, and policy makers. Authorities should endeavor to make waste management services accessible and affordable to all with proper consideration of one health approach.