Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Health Care Waste Management among Healthcare Workers in Health Facilities in Central River Region, The Gambia

Healthcare waste (HCW) poses a great danger to public health and the environment if it is not properly managed. This study was carried out to identify gaps in the knowledge, attitude and practice of healthcare workers on healthcare waste management. An institution based cross sectional study design was used in this study. A total of 148 self administered questionnaires were used in 13 health facilities including Bansang Hospital. Respondents were drawn from different cadres of health staff (nurses, public health officers, laboratory technicians and other auxiliary staff). Univariate analysis was used to summarize the data in frequency tables, percentages and proportions while bivariate analysis through the use of chi-square was used to determine statistically significant associations with the study outcome variables at 95% confidence level and p<0.05. The study revealed that 79.7% of the participants had poor knowledge (awareness) about HCW. Majority of the participants (95.3%) had good attitude towards HCW while 62.2% had good practice towards HCW. Educational level and cadre were found to be significantly associated with participants’ knowledge, attitude and practice towards HCW management (P<0.05). The study therefore concludes that it is necessary for healthcare workers to be continuously trained on health and safety issues while managing hazardous healthcare waste. It also establishes the need for healthcare institutions to conduct continuing education on health and safety in the management of healthcare waste.