Poor disposal of soiled diapers in Sub-Saharan Africa: A gap in Environmental health literacy in rural communities

Abstract

Disposable diapers are designed to absorb and retain a baby’s urine and fecal matter whilst keeping their skin dry and healthy. Although they are convenient and a huge benefit in today’s busy life-style, their impact on the environment is becoming unbearable due to poor handling and disposal practices. Disposable diapers are known to reduce the burden of domestic chores for many care-givers. However, the threat to environmental and public health due to its ability to contaminate water and land cannot be ignored. These practices show a serious gap in Environmental Health Literacy (EHL) within the communities of Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Seemingly, more than 95% of these communities use disposable diapers with limited knowledge on how to dispose of them and protect the environment. Apparently, there are no programs in place to transfer knowledge to care-givers on how to prevent an impact on the environment after use. On the other hand, there is no regulation or procedure in place focusing on practices and disposal. As a result, inappropriate handling and disposal continue to be a public health risk to communities, with less appropriate measures to prevent environmental and health risks.