Assessment of Solid Waste Management in Residential Townships in Lusaka Zambia

Abstract

This study assessed practices, methods and perceptions of solid waste management (SWM) in selected townships in Lusaka Zambia. The aim was to establish effectiveness of SWM in order to have a basis for advocating for measures to address issues related to improved solid waste management. Specifically, the research aimed to determine the socio-demographic and economic profiles of people, methods and practices of solid waste disposal and to obtain people's perception on solid waste management. The study targeted 120 respondents purposely selected from low, medium and high-density townships of Misisi, Kabwata and Ibex Hills in Lusaka, Zambia. The study collected data by use of a self-administered questionnaire through random sampling and was analysed through SPSS version 23. The findings of this study revealed that solid waste management was a challenge in Lusaka, Zambia. The majority of respondents (37.5%) stated that they generated all kinds of waste from their households and 51.6% stated that they had never heard of appropriate solid waste management. Of those that emptied waste in public waste bins, 35% stated that they walked 5-10 minutes to access public waste bins, 19.2% stated that public bins, which emptied weekly, were small and ever full. Fifty-two (52%) percent of respondents stated that there was a problem with solid waste disposal and 56.7% stated that solid waste disposal contributed to diseases in their area. This study concluded that there were challenges of solid waste management in terms of practices and methods in selected areas of Lusaka, Zambia.

Three Waves of Data Use Among Health Workers: The Experience of the Better Immunization Data Initiative in Tanzania and Zambia

“…In particular, according to baseline and midline survey results of health workers in 84 facilities in the Tanga region, perception of quality increased over time as well (Figure 3), potentially due to their increased ability to interact with the data and influence the data quality. Perception of data quality (accuracy, completeness, and timeliness) directly affected the health workers' motivation to use the data as seen in our baseline data where 56% of surveyed facility staff in Zambia cited “poor accuracy” of data as a key barrier to data use 20 …”

“…Key decision areas that were reviewed and discussed with health workers included the ability to calculate coverage in their catchment area, monitor and manage stock levels, and track and trace defaulters. The legacy paper systems had impeded data accessibility and created barriers for significant use of the data in their daily tasks, as cited through health worker interviews at baseline 19 , 20 . If health workers used the data, it had primarily been reactive, focusing on using the data to address issues that arose, such as identifying children who did not come for their vaccinations, ordering stock after it ran low, or having a basic understanding of overall performance.…”

“…These are self-reported results from a survey of health workers at 89 facilities in the first 6 districts of implementation in Zambia; a baseline survey was administered immediately before the implementation of BID interventions and a midline survey was administered approximately 4 months after implementation. The full details of the survey results are reported elsewhere 19 , 20 …”