PERCEIVED HEALTH IMPLICATIONS OF SOLID WASTE IN LAFIA METROPOLIS, NASARAWA STATE, NIGERIA.
J. A Osuagbalende1 & S. Danladi2
1&2Department of Basic Sciences and General Studies
College of Agriculture Lafia, Lafia, Nigeria.
Email: adamujonah25@yahoo.com,sanidanladi2016@gmail.com
ABSTRACT The study examines environmental problems and adverse impacts on the health of urban households in the Lafia metropolitan area, Nigeria. The results showed that majority (50%)of the respondents in Tudun-kauri disposed solid waste in open dumps and allow it to decompose naturally while (24.8%) others use burning as the way of disposed their solid wastes. Poor handling, evacuation and disposal of waste have numerous negative impacts on the environment such as proliferation of mosquitoes and flies, bad odour, visual pollution. These negatives impacts on the environment in turn have negatives impacts on the health of the residents. dysentery and diarrhea(81%) appears the most encountered disease followed by Malaria (78%) and cough and sore throat(36%) among others. The major causes for the inefficient solid waste management systems in Lafia are the lack of social awareness/ community involvement and sound legislative policy. There is a need for greater government involvement, community participation and orientation with private sectors involvement in waste management in Lafia with a view to building capacity for effective delivery of waste management services and ultimately improve the sanitary state of the city thereby reducing preventable disease burden on the populace as. It is recommended that Nasarawa State environmental protection agency(NSEPA) should introduce house to house sanitary inspection, monthly environmental sanitation with strict penalty against defaulters. Other recommendations if strictly put to use, it will go a long way reducing the menace posed by solid wastes to human health and his environment.
Keywords: Health, Solid Waste Management, Environment Impact.