Knowledge, Attitudes and Behaviors of mothers of moderately acutely malnourished children on household waste management

Abstract

Introduction: Malnutrition is one of the major health and well-being issues affecting children in developing countries in general and Mali in particular. It can be widespread even when food availability is sufficient because of dietary habits, habits and customs; but also because of behaviors that promote the proliferation of biological vectors, sources of food contamination. The accumulation of garbage, whatever the cause, is detrimental to health. They can be the cause of the proliferation of microbes, and other vectors of diseases. According to WHO, unhealthy environments kill 3 million children every year worldwide. Our study aimed to study the knowledge, attitudes and behaviors of mothers on the management of household waste. Methods: It was a descriptive cross-sectional survey of mothers or guardians of children suffering from moderate acute malnutrition, residing in the Yirimadio district in Commune VI of the Bamako district and ran from December 2017 to January 2018. Results: This study revealed that 62% of mothers used the trash to store their household waste; public roads were used in 94% to eliminate garbage. Open burning was used in 6% of cases; 59% of the respondents poured the wastewater into the streets. Conclusion: This situation requires effective and sustainable solutions, hence the need to put in place strategies for sustainable management of household waste in the Yirimadio district, including information and awareness.