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Article

Open Access

Knowledge and Perceptions on Urban Health Hazards in Zambia: A Case Study of Kitwe District

Author(s)

Cecilia Muchepa Muzyamba

Full-Text PDF Download XML 1105 Views

DOI:10.17265/1548-6591/2015.04.002

Affiliation(s)

Zambian Open University, Lusaka, Zambia

ABSTRACT

Knowledge and perceptions of urban health hazards may vary in different communities. An attempt was made to study the levels of knowledge and perceptions on urban health hazards in Zambia: a case study of Kitwe District. The study was done in Nkana West, Chimwemwe, and Saint Anthony (St. Anthony). The respondents in these areas identified the following factors as being hazardous: air pollution, promiscuous behavior, sanitation, poor houses, solid and faecal waste management, noise, lack of recreational facilities, inadequate food supplies, life styles, and overcrowdings. The study revealed that 98% of respondents knew at least a health hazard while 2% of them did not know of any. Of the 98%, there were 39.6% responses indicated that air pollution was the most hazardous followed by unhygienic environments with 35.9%. Promiscuous behavior, inadequate food supply, and garbage (solid waste) disposal with 32.1%, 30.2%, and 28.3%, respectively, were some of the most common. The responses given were related to the socio-economic status of the sample areas. The respondents were of the perception that the government was to blame over the rates of air pollution and sanitation. However, some respondents acknowledged the blame of disposing solid waste in undesignated areas. The promiscuous behavior was attributed to inadequate recreation facilities, unemployment, and a lot of beer outlets. There was therefore, need for government through the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the Kitwe City Council (KCC) to carry basic health campaigns on the environmental health hazards. The construction of houses should be monitored by the housing (buildings) department of the KCC in order to avoid people putting up buildings where the drainage canals are supposed to pass. This would help minimize water logging.

KEYWORDS

hazard, health, knowledge, perceptions, urban

Cite this paper

Journal of US-China Public Administration, April 2015, Vol. 12, No. 4, 262-272

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