Biomedical Waste Management at Sokponta Healthcare Facility in Benin

Abstract

Biomedical Waste emanating from healthcare activities remains a major public health and environmental issue. The boom in world population saw a sharp rise in healthcare requirements and subsequent accumulation of Biomedical Waste in and around hospitals. The problem is much more pronounced in Africa, where proper disposal seems abstruse in many circles. This treatise highlights the management of biomedical waste at the Sokponta health center. Sokponta is a far-flung area located among the highlands of "Collines", one of the twelve (12) regions of Benin, a small West-African country bordering Nigeria. The outcome was affected through a descriptive cross-sectional study conducted from March 11 to May 11, 2024 in the Sokponta health facility. Incineration is the adopted method for biomedical waste treatment at Sopkonta. Our study hones in on the collection, handling, segregation, transportation and disposal of Biomedical Waste. Proper biomedical waste management at Sopkonta is elusive. There is a lot of room for improvement. More staff training on the subject wouldn't definitely go amiss. Respondents' smattering of knowledge was conspicuous. There was an urgent need to drill into staff new, more organized and well-structured strategies for sustainable and efficient biomedical waste management.