Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices of Waste Segregation at Kapsabet County Referal Hospital, Nandi County, Kenya

Abstract

Background: Poor management of clinical waste poses a public health risk (Nema et al., 2011). Hence, appropriate Clinical Waste Management (CWM) is a crucial issue for maintaining human and public health and can be achieved through effective and efficient wastes segregation (Nema et al., 2011). The key to effective management of medical waste is segregation (separation) of the waste (Rao et. al., 2004). Objectives: To assess the knowledge, attitude and practices on medical waste segregation. Methods: The study was done in November 2015 using quantitative descriptive design. The data from 139 healthcare workers at Kapsabet County Referral Hospital from Nandi County, Kenya was collected through questionnaires and analyzed with SPSS version 20. The knowledge, attitude and practices were assessed through a census and the data was thereafter interpreted at 95% confidence interval. Results: 32% of the respondents did not know what waste segregation was, 35% said that waste segregation should not be done at the generation point an indicator of poor knowledge on waste segregation. 94% of the respondents believed bin emptying was the responsibility of the cleaners an indicator of a negative attitude towards waste segregation. Conclusion: It is important to note that, knowledge and attitude are key determinants of waste segregation practices. Recommendations: A study should be done on the challenges facing proper waste segregation. Public health policy intervention is required to strictly monitor waste management in health sectors.