Poor waste disposal heightens disease risks in Abuja community

Aisha Ibrahim’s house in Karu Village, a community in Abuja, Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory (FCT), bears the scars of neglect and vulnerability. The faded, cracked walls and stagnant water pools remind her of the past floods that repeatedly ravaged the community.

The watermarks on the walls bring back painful memories from 2022 when she returned from a journey to find her home and her belongings washed away in one of the incidents.

“The first flood came when I was away. By the time I returned, my house was gone – everything was carried away, even a spoon I couldn’t find,” she recounted, her voice laden with pain.

Mrs Ibrahim said her older children had to buy her a mattress, and neighbours brought clothes and food to support her.

Years later, floods still plague her home due to a nearby stream clogged with waste. When heavy rain pours, the blocked stream overflows into her neighbourhood, damaging properties.

“But two years later, it happened again. This time, I was home. I watched helplessly as the water destroyed everything I had rebuilt. I didn’t know where to go with my little children,” she said.

For residents like Mrs Ibrahim, the floods are not just a seasonal disaster; they create a breeding ground for mosquitoes and increase the risk of diseases.

“The mosquitoes are bigger than I’ve ever seen, and they are very black. Despite using insecticides and nets, they still invade my house,” she lamented, adding that her children have been hospitalised multiple times this year, especially between June and August.

Other residents, like a businessman who identified himself simply as Mr Suraju, echoed similar concerns.

“I am never happy when the rainy season comes because of the harm it causes to me and my family. I always have to move some of my properties to my brother’s place on the other side of the community so they don’t get damaged by the unpredictable flood,” he explained.

Improper waste disposal

PREMIUM TIMES’ findings reveal that a refuse dump in the community has become a major cause of flooding and a persistent source of frustration for residents.

The waste clogs drainage systems and nearby streams, forcing water to flow into homes and streets during heavy rains, destroying properties and lives.

A shop owner, Joseph Onyekachi, blamed the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) for the situation.

“AMAC is responsible for this waste, they allocated that place to people for dumping refuse. It is disturbing us here, but we do not have any choice as we are already used to it,” he said, expressing his frustrations to this reporter.

Another resident, who spoke anonymously, described the refuse dump as a “disease” that invades their homes.

“That waste is a disease, which is dangerous to our health,” he said.

“When it rains, the dirt overflows onto the roads, causing traffic jams and worsening the smell,” he added.

Unmet pleas

The waste disposal crisis, compounded by flooding, has remained unresolved despite repeated appeals to government officials.

Mohammed Ibrahim, secretary to the Sarkin Hausawa of Karu Village, said the community had made numerous attempts to draw attention to the issue, but their efforts have been ignored.

“We wrote to the local government authorities back then consistently, pleading for help, but all was in vain,” he said.

Mr Ibrahim said improper waste management has been a long-standing problem in the community that has worsened with the area’s growing population.

“I was born and brought up here. Back then, we didn’t have a lot of people, so it was easier to manage. But as the population grew, the problem got out of control. Some of us tried to minimise it, but it was beyond us,” he said.

He also provided information about the refuse dump’s location. According to him, the spot in front of the burial ground was initially designated to generate income for the burial ground.

“That particular spot is supposed to be built to fetch money for the burial ground,” he said.

He alleged that political and ethnic biases hindered efforts to address the problem.

Mr Ibrahim told PREMIUM TIMES that the government spends about two to three million naira monthly to manage the waste, money he believes is sufficient to secure an alternative dumping site.

“With that amount, we could find a better location to dispose of the refuse, but nothing is being done. It feels like we’ve been forgotten,” he lamented.

Health consequences

Significant health risks are associated with improper waste disposal.

A medical doctor in the Department of Community Medicine and Primary Care, Federal Medical Centre, Abeokuta, Solomon Olorunfemi, explained that living near improperly disposed waste poses long-term and short-term health risks.

Mr Olorunfemi emphasised the dangers of vector-borne diseases like malaria and cholera, which he said thrive in stagnant water near waste dumps.

“The following are the short-term health effects that improper disposal of refuse nearby can cause. Respiratory challenges, vector-borne diseases, skin problems, skin irritation, and gastrointestinal problems that is the alimentary canal problems,” he said.

He said decomposing waste produces harmful gasses.

“Talking about the respiratory challenges, the decomposition of refuse leads to the production of harmful gasses like hydrogen sulfide, ammonia, and methane. This can irritate the respiratory tract, and residents can manifest issues such as cough, shortness of breath, and possibly other features of acute exacerbation of asthma.”

Mr Olorunfemi further noted that accumulated waste attracts pests such as mosquitoes, flies, and rodents, which transmit diseases like malaria, cholera, and leptospirosis – a bacterial infection spread by rodents. He said stagnant water near waste dumps only exacerbates these issues.

He also warned about the potential for skin irritation, stating that direct contact with contaminated refuse can cause rashes and allergic reactions. Furthermore, improperly disposed waste significantly increases the risk of gastrointestinal problems.

“To talk about the GIT or the alimentary canal problems, when individuals are exposed to pathogens from improperly disposed of waste, it can lead to contamination of food and water, which can manifest with symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, and other gastrointestinal disorders,” he said.

Improper waste disposal

Improper waste disposal has become a major public health issue globally, with particularly severe consequences in urban areas where waste management infrastructure is inadequate. Poor waste management not only leads to the contamination of water sources and air pollution but also creates breeding grounds for disease-carrying vectors, contributing to a wide range of health problems.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) warns that inadequate waste collection causes environmental pollution and can block water drainage systems, leading to flooding. Stagnant water in waste piles promotes the spread of cholera and vector-borne diseases, such as malaria and dengue.

Beyond waterborne diseases, improper waste disposal also contributes to air pollution. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) highlights that open waste burning releases harmful pollutants like particulate matter, dioxins, and volatile organic compounds, linked to respiratory illnesses such as asthma, chronic bronchitis, and other pulmonary diseases.

Such pollutants, when inhaled, can also increase the incidence of cardiovascular problems, particularly in vulnerable populations such as children, the elderly, and those with pre-existing health conditions.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), improper waste disposal creates stagnant water and breeding grounds for mosquitoes, directly contributing to the spread of vector-borne diseases.

Globally, over 200 million people are affected by malaria annually, with Nigeria contributing the highest number; the failure to manage waste effectively only worsens these public health challenges.

In regions like Nigeria, where urbanisation has outpaced waste management infrastructure, the health consequences are even more dire.

During the rainy season, improperly disposed waste is often carried into water sources, significantly increasing the incidence of diseases like cholera and typhoid.

Infrequent waste collection consequence

Residents of Karu Village, particularly those along Nyanya Road, have long expressed frustration over the pervasive smell and the inconsistent waste collection services in their area. For years, the community attributed this issue to the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), stating the council is responsible for waste management in the region. However, AMAC says it only assumed the role recently.

The Director of Environment at AMAC, Hanatu Ibrahim, explained that it was only four months ago that the minister empowered the area council to monitor waste management in Karu Village and report the level of evaluation.

She said: “That space is not under the purview of AMAC, the Satellite Town Development Department (STDD), decided to intervene in all the six area councils and Karu is one of the area they are handling as an intervention project. AMAC does not have direct responsibility for the waste management in that area because of their intervention. The contract was given to contractors belonging to the STDD.

“The minister gave AMAC the power to monitor everything that happens there, we also do level of evaluation.”

However, attempts to gain further clarification from the STDD were unsuccessful.

Mrs Ibrahim referred this reporter to the supervisor of STDD, identified simply as Dr Okoh, who in turn provided the contact of the Public Relations Officer (PRO) for the STDD, Felicia Meeme, for further information.

However, Ms Meeme said she would need to reach out to the appropriate authorities to get approval before speaking on the issue. As of the time of this report, she said she had not gotten the approval.

Unanswered request for health data

In an effort to understand the health impact of environmental conditions in Karu Village, PREMIUM TIMES submitted a Freedom of Information (FOI) request to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) for data on the prevalence of diseases such as malaria in the community.

This information could provide insights into how the local environment and waste disposal issues correlate with community health. However, four months after the request was made and several follow-ups by the reporter, the agency has yet to respond.