Healthcare waste generation and its management system: the case of health centers in West Gojjam Zone, Amhara Region, Ethiopia

Background: Healthcare service providers generally aim at controlling and preventing diseases such as communicable ones. However, in the course of activities, the generation of hazardous and non hazardous waste is a concern of an environmental risk to health care workers, the public and the environment at large.Objective: To assess healthcare waste type, generation rate, and its management system in health centers in West Gojjam Zone.Methods: Cross-sectional study was employed to estimate waste generation rate and evaluate its management system in ten public health centers from March 2007 to April 2007. Observational checklist, key informant interview guide and weighing scale were data collection tools that were used to characterize waste generation. Weighing of healthcare waste was done for eight consecutive days in each health center. Data were entered and analyzed using EPI Info version 6.04d and SPSS version 13.0.Results: The daily mean ( ± SD) healthcare waste-generation rate was 1.79 ± 0.54 kg, which was equivalent to 0.035 ± 0.05 kg/outpatient/day. About 0.93 ± 0.3 kg/day (52.0%) was general and 0.86 ± 0.33 kg/day (48.0%) was hazardous waste. The mean healthcare waste generation rate among health centers did not significantly vary. Segregation of wastes and pre treatment of infectious wastes were not properly practiced by any of the health centers. Only four out of ten health centers used local type of incinerators, while others used open burning for the final handling of healthcare wastes. Biological wastes such as placenta were generally disposed and buried in nonwatertight disposal pits. Operational guidelines were not found in all assessed health centers. Nine out 70 (13%) interviewed healthcare workers had needle injuries during the last 12 months prior this study. Conclusion: The unit generation rate was relatively small in magnitude when compared with similar health facilities that are found in developing countries. The indiscriminate handling and disposal of biological wastes is a concern. [Ethiop. J. Health Dev. 2010;24(2):119-126

Pullet production and supply business development by women’s groups in selected kebeles of Dale pilot learning district (PLW): Experiences from IPMS

Shortage of pullet supply and high mortality of local chicks arising from diseases and inadequate feed were the main challenges identified through a rapid diagnostic survey on the poultry value chain in Dale. Accordingly, women group-based commercial pullet rearing as an input for smallholder poultry production was initiated by the Office of Agriculture and Rural Development (OoARD) and IPMS. To develop the program, a credit scheme was initiated using IPMS’s credit innovation funds. With assistance of OoARD, eighty women subdivided into five (village) groups, collectively purchased 4000 day-old chicks (50/woman) and other inputs such as feed, vaccines, hay box brooder and watering equipment. The women were trained and developed their skills through their group structures. The required vaccinations were also given by the women themselves under the auspices of the group structures. After 4–5 months, 3470 pullets survived and were kept by the women or sold to others for egg producers. Empirical results show that: i) the group approach helped to improve linkages, communication, and access to knowledge, technology, finance, inputs (day-old chicks and feed), veterinary service, and market; ii) the groups were able to successfully produce and supply pullets thus making an additional income of Ethiopian birr (ETB) 833/hh; iii) the approach stimulates growing demand for the 5 months-old pullets, especially by government/donor financed programs. While being technically and economically viable, the system requires institutional upgrading so as to ensure sustainability of input supply (chicks, feed and vaccine/drugs). The commitment shown by WoARD to provide technical backstopping in all aspects of poultry production also leaves much to be desired. These are crucial at least for the first few cycles, while more emphasis should be given to promoting improved local birds. As the follow-up studies on subsequent egg production showed, considerable attention needs to be paid to building the capacity of poultry farmers to engage in semi-commercial egg production, since egg production was still far below its potential. The study also shows that a difference of as high as 35% existed between egg production level by households who had purchased the pullets privately and households who had received the pullets through food security funded projects in Dale area

Pullet production and supply business development by women’s groups in selected kebeles of Dale pilot learning woreda: Experiences from IPMS

Shortage of pullet supply and high mortality of local chicks arising from diseases and inadequate feed were the main challenges identified through a rapid diagnostic survey on the poultry value chain in Dale. Accordingly, women group-based commercial pullet rearing as an input for smallholder poultry production was initiated by the Office of Agriculture and Rural Development (OoARD) and IPMS. To develop the program, a credit scheme was initiated by the Regional Rural Finance Fund Administration, using IPMS’s credit innovation funds. With assistance of OoARD, eighty women subdivided into five (village) groups, collectively purchased 4000 day-old chicks (50/woman) and other inputs such as feed, vaccines, hay box brooder and watering equipment. The women were trained and developed their skills through their group structures. The required vaccinations were also given by the women themselves under the auspices of the group structures that taught them how to make best use of available vaccine size (500 doses/vial). After 4–5 months, 3470 pullets survived and were kept by the women or sold to others for egg production. Empirical results show that: i) the group approach helped to improve linkages, communication, and access to knowledge, technology, finance, inputs (day-old chicks and feed), veterinary service, and market; ii) the groups were able to successfully produce and supply pullets thus making an additional income of Ethiopian birr (ETB)1 833/hh; iii) the approach stimulates growing demand for the 5 months-old pullets, especially by government/donor financed programs. While being technically and economically viable, the system requires institutional upgrading so as to ensure sustainability of input supply (chicks, feed and vaccine/drugs) at the nearest market both for pullet and egg producers. The commitment shown by WoARD to provide technical backstopping in all aspects of poultry production also leaves much to be desired. These are crucial at least for the first few cycles, while more emphasis should be given to promoting improved local birds. As the follow-up studies on subsequent egg production showed, considerable attention needs to be paid to building the capacity of poultry farmers to engage in semi-commercial egg production, since egg production was still far below its potential. The study also shows that a difference of as high as 35% existed between egg production level by households who had purchased the pullets privately and households who had received the pullets through food security funded projects in Dale area

Smallholder dairy farming systems in the highlands of Ethiopia: System-specific constraints and intervention options

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