CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

The ramifications of improperly disposing of waste products are immense. Not only does improper garbage disposal turn the environment into a nasty, polluted cesspool but it also has the potential of making people sick. The improper disposal of solid waste can lead to severe health outcomes by creating the environment for the proliferation of vectors such as rats, cockroaches and mosquitoes. Further, improper waste disposal can lead to the pollution of the air and water sources leading to such diseases as respiratory tract infections (RTIs) cholera, dysentery and typhoid fever. It can cause skin conditions like scabies and Trachoma (a preventable eye disease in which the eyelashes eventually invert, leading to blindness). Parasites living in dirty water can cause diseases like dracunculiasis and schistosomiasis. (Riquelme ; Méndez; & Smith; 2016)

The management of garbage disposal at Itam dumpsite has continued to cause negative environmental impact such as pollution of air, soil and water. This has eventually caused a lot of problems to human health and the spread of diseases caused by insects and rodents from the garbage heaps.

The management of solid waste continues to be a major challenge in urban areas throughout the world particularly in urban areas especially in the rapidly growing cities of the developing world (Foo, 1997). A high rate of population growth and increasing per capita income have resulted in the generation of an enormous volume of solid waste, which poses a serious threat to environmental quality and human health (Snigdha, 2003). Access to sanitation services and clean adequate water are therefore regarded as crucial to the health and wellbeing of people. As more cities become industrialized, the congenital problem of waste management comes along with it. This study seeks to fill the gap by looking at how waste is being transported, deposed, community attitudes towards waste disposal and what Uyo city council need to do to work together with the health sectors in order to improve the health status of the community.

1.1 Background

Garbage and other solid waste pose a threat in the city of Uyo. There is no proper management of dumping garbage and solid waste at Itam dumping site which has contributed to a high number of water borne and respiratory tract diseases such as typhoid, cholera and acute respiratory tract infections, respectively. For instance, in 2018, 98 deaths from cholera were recorded in Uyo (WHO/MoH 2018). For Uyo, the city generates about one million tonnes of waste annually, according to the city’s Waste Management Unit (WMU). But only half of this is taken to the designated dump site.

Therefore, this study takes into consideration the concerns from government and other stakeholders to eradicate these diseases by suggesting ways of proper waste management.

This study will try and understand the reasons as to why the Uyo City council has been failing to supervise the proper management of dumping garbage and solid waste at Itam damp site. The study will help identify the barriers to the proper implementation of projects dealing with wastes management at Itam damp site. Finally, the study will help come up with recommended measures to improve waste management at Itam damp site.

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