Research Article Open Access

HEALTH PROBLEMS OF SOLID WASTE COLLECTORS IN INDIA: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

Abstract

Solid waste collection is hazardous to the health of solid waste collectors. This paper reviews the scientific literature concerned with physical, occupational and psychological health problems of solid waste collectors in India in the past two decades. As per PRISMA guidelines, a scoping review was performed. Two databases, PubMed and Google Scholar were searched. 20 research articles were included in this study. Scoping review revealed that 8.1%-95% of solid waste collectors suffered from respiratory problems, 3.8%-33% from ophthalmological, 25%-76.6% from musculoskeletal and 4.5%-15% from gastrointestinal problems. Further, 43.5%-91.7% faced injuries during work while nearly 70% suffered from mild to severe depression and 55% from anxiety. The frequency of health problems was higher in solid waste collectors than in the control groups. Targeted health surveillance, provision of first aid kit and greater access to healthcare can help improve the health of solid waste collectors.

HEMANT MISHRA*, ASIF ALI, ZAINUL ABEDIN

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