INFLUENCE OF THE WORK ENVIRONMENT ON THE HEALTH STATUS OF WOMEN WASTE PICKERS AT THE DANDORA DUMP SITE, NAIROBI KENYA

Health

The main aim of this paper is to assess the effect of work environment on the health status of women waste pickers at the Dandora Dump site, Nairobi. Solid waste management is a key aim that every developing country strives to achieve. The sources of solid waste are diverse and range from domestic activities to industrial processes. Solid waste is a potential source of pollutants that are commonly associated with adverse health effects in human beings. As the urban population increases in Nairobi and its environs, and so is the waste from the normal operations of the population. This poses a threat to the health of the communities and particularly those majoring on waste picking as the source of their livelihoods. In such conditions, there is poor solid waste management which is characterized by open dumping due to lack of proper waste disposal system. Open dumping sites are often chosen without any environmental, health and safety considerations and pose a threat to the health of people living in adjacent areas. This paper assesses how the work environment has affected the health of status of the women waste pickers in Dandora dumpsite. The findings revealed that the waste management at the dumpsite has been not effectively undertaken and this has seen the work environment in the area become toxic and with negative health effects on women waste pickers. This has been evidenced by increased health-related concerns, most of which have affected the livelihoods of the women waste pickers.

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