title: Assessment of medical waste management in seven hospitals in Lagos, Nigeria.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Medical waste (MW) can be generated in hospitals, clinics and places where diagnosis and treatment are conducted. The management of these wastes is an issue of great concern and importance in view of potential public health risks associated with such wastes. The study assessed the medical waste management practices in selected hospitals and also determined the impact of Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) intervention programs. A descriptive cross-sectional survey method was used.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were collected using three instrument (questionnaire, site visitation and in -depth interview). Two public (hospital A, B) and five private (hospital C, D, E, F and G) which provide services for low, middle and high income earners were used. Data analysis was done with SPSS version 20. Chi-squared test was used to determine level of significance at p < 0.05.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The majority 56 (53.3%) of the respondents were females with mean age of 35.46 (±1.66) years. The hospital surveyed, except hospital D, disposes both general and medical waste separately. All the facilities have the same process of managing their waste which is segregation, collection/on-site transportation, on-site storage and off-site transportation. Staff responsible for collecting medical waste uses mainly hand gloves as personal protective equipment. The intervention programs helped to ensure compliance and safety of the processes; all the hospitals employ the services of LAWMA for final waste disposal and treatment. Only hospital B offered on-site treatment of its waste (sharps only) with an incinerator while LAWMA uses hydroclave to treat its wastes. There are no policies or guidelines in all investigated hospitals for managing waste.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  An awareness of proper waste management amongst health workers has been created in most hospitals through the initiative of LAWMA. However, hospital D still mixes municipal and hazardous wastes. The treatment of waste is generally done by LAWMA using hydroclave, to prevent environmental hazards except hospital B that treats its sharp with an incinerator. In order to enhance uniform and appropriate waste management practices in the entire State, there is need for capacity building at all levels and also policies and guidelines formulations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Therapeutics and Toxicology, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, PMB 12003, Lagos, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Olufunsho
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Awodele
authors.affiliation: Transnational Environmental Co., 75, Tejuosho Surulere, Yaba, Lagos, Nigeria. salami_aishat@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Aishat Abiodun
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Adewoye
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacy Practice, University of Benin, Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Azuka Cyril
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Oparah
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004777:Environment; D005260:Female; D006739:Hospital Administration; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017744:Medical Waste Disposal / Q000379:methods*; D009549:Nigeria; D000067393:Personal Protective Equipment; D057766:Policy; D011634:Public Health; D012037:Refuse Disposal / Q000379:methods; D017751:Safety Management / Q000379:methods; D014186:Transportation
chemical_list: D017744:Medical Waste Disposal
keywords: Environmental hazards; Healthcare workers; LAWMA and Lagos; Medical waste; Waste management