Hospital Waste Management Practices and Microbiological Contamination Risks in Yola, Adamawa State

Healthcare waste management is a critical component of hospital infection control and environmental health, yet lapses in waste segregation and disposal create serious microbiological hazards in many Nigerian facilities. This descriptive cross-sectional study evaluated healthcare waste management practices and associated microbiological contamination risks at Specialist Hospital Yola and three other public health facilities in Yola, Adamawa State, in the North East geopolitical zone of Nigeria. Data were collected using validated observational checklists, structured interviews with waste handlers, and microbiological sampling of waste handling areas and treatment units. Compliance with the Nigerian Healthcare Waste Management Guidelines was assessed across ten key indicators. Full compliance with waste colour-coding segregation was achieved in only 28.5 percent of observations. Open burning of infectious waste was observed in two of the four facilities. Environmental swabs from waste collection areas grew Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella species, and Aspergillus fumigatus. Waste handlers used personal protective equipment consistently in only 36.8 percent of observed sessions. A statistically significant relationship was found between inadequate waste treatment and contamination of adjacent ward surfaces. The study recommends urgent investment in functional waste treatment infrastructure, retraining of waste handlers, and monthly compliance audits by hospital environmental health officers across all facilities in Yola. Keywords: healthcare waste management, hospital infection control, Yola, Adamawa, microbiological contamination.