Current Practices of Medical Waste Management in Juba Hospitals, Juba City - South Sudan (2025)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47941/ijhs.3820Keywords:
Occupational Safety, Waste Segregation, Medical Waste Management, Healthcare Waste Disposal PracticesAbstract
Purpose: Effective medical waste management is a critical pillar of public health and environmental safety, particularly in fragile health systems. This study assessed medical waste management programs in hospitals within Juba City, South Sudan.
Methodology: A descriptive cross-sectional design that combined quantitative and qualitative methods. Data were collected from 404 healthcare staff, revealing that while 95.8% were aware of waste types, systemic gaps in segregation and disposal persisted.
Results: 79.2% practiced reported segregation of medical waste at the point of generation, 35.9% relied on black-coded bins for hazardous materials, and 69.6% used incineration as the primary treatment method. Challenges included inadequate transportation systems (60.9%), lack of policy enforcement (37.4%), and insufficient protective equipment. The study concludes that Juba's waste management is hindered by structural fragility and limited institutional memory.
Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: The study provides evidence based to policymakers, hospital administrators, and public health authorities for strengthening healthcare waste management policies. The findings can guide the Ministry of Health South Sudan and other stakeholders in designing sustainable environmental health policies aimed at improving healthcare waste management and protecting public health and the environment.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Joseph Samuel Aban Opeiny, Abdallah Ibrahim Abdallah Mohammed, Atif Breama Saad Breama
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