Disease and Health Condition of Scavengers in Bangladesh

Abstract

Background: Urban solid waste management is considered as one of the most immediate and serious environmental problems confronting municipal authorities in developing Asian Countries. Today, scavenger still carries out the basic sanitary services in cities and towns of Bangladesh. These scavengers live and work in unhygienic conditions and the nature of their occupation exposes them to potentially pathogenic bio-aerosols that may lead to the spread of various diseases. Objectives: To identify the occupational risks, the health problems and treatment patterns as well as the socio-demographic status of scavengers. Methods and materials: This was a survey based study. The paper is based on the information collected from the field survey. Questionnaires, field Observation and interview with key informants were the techniques used to obtain data and information. A total of 200 respondents were selected by purposive sampling method as subject for the present study. Data was collected from scavengers who are concentrated at the selected dump sites. The data were put on a tabular form and it was analyzed statistically like frequency counts and simple percentages for the structured segment of the questionnaire. Results: 75% of respondents were under age 45, while the average ranged between 20 and 49 years. 72.5% of the participants included in the study were males and 27.5% were females. 70% of respondent have no educational background. Only 12.5% take bath and wash their cloths 3 to 4 days per week. More importantly 24.5% of them reported to take a bath twice per days. 80.5 % of Scavengers change their regular dress. 23.5% don’t brush their teeth regularly. 56% of those were using piped water for drinking supplied by WASA. Only 17.5 percent scavengers take their lunch properly & regularly but they take their dinner regularly. Most of the scavengers suffered with low back pain (65%), fever (44%), common colds (39%), and headache (69%). Other problems included gastric pain (34%), skin rashes (14%), asthma (15%), and diarrhea (25%) (Scavengers could have experienced more than one symptom).10% of respondents suffering from sleeping disturbance. Small cut & nick injury is most common in scavenging work. Conclusion: Scavenging is an inhuman economic activity that is harmful for their health because of work in an unhygienic and unpleasant environment; but there is no other opportunity for livelihoods. The most common diseases amongst these scavengers were back pain, digestion problems and skin problems. Regarding their consultations for treatment, they cannot afford treatment by the doctors due to the reasons of lack of awareness and poverty.