Medical Waste Management: Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Among Waste Handlers at Hargeisa Group Hospital, Somaliland

Background In order to prevent health hazards in healthcare settings and to safeguard patients, healthcare staff, and the environment, medical waste must be managed safely. These risks are increased in many low-resource settings because of inadequate equipment and training. Methods 140 waste handlers at Hargeisa Group Hospital in Somaliland participated in this cross-sectional study, which used an interviewer-administered questionnaire to assess their knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) of medical waste management. Descriptive statistics (frequency and percentages) were used to assess the study’s findings, and chi-square tests were performed to investigate the relationships between sociodemographic, KAP of medical waste management. Results The findings showed that just 22.90% of respondents shown good behaviors, while 52.90% had fair understanding and 45.00% had negative perceptions. Significant correlations between knowledge levels and sociodemographic characteristic (education, work unit, and transport methods), as well as between attitudes and practices, were found using statistical analyses. Additionally, just 56.40% had received training on biomedical waste management in the past years, 47.90% of respondents reported being exposed to potentially infectious materials while handling biomedical waste, and 41.40% experienced sharp injuries in the past 12 months. Conclusion In medical waste management, there is a clear gap among knowledge, attitude, and practice. Even with high levels of knowledge, attitude, and practice are still not at their optimal level. To reduce workplace risks and increase the overall effectiveness of waste management, improved training and resource availability are crucial.